Koh Phi Phi’s pioneering barefoot luxury dive resort Zeavola recently led a team of conservationists and dive enthusiasts to successfully install anchor buoys around the northern part of the island’s Marine National Park.
Weigh anchor: Lead by General Manager Florian Hallermann (centre), Zeavola has continued its commitments to preserving the local marine ecosystems of the Andaman with the organisation of installation of anchor buoys – devices which dramatically reduce coral reef damage from traditional vessel anchors.
Joined by fellow dive instructors from Leisure Diving and from the Phi Phi Dive Club, Zeavola Resort successfully planted more than 20 of the buoys – devices which allow multiple vessels to be secured to one single anchor, thus eliminating the need for individual craft to weigh anchor, repeatedly damaging the sea floor.
Coral care: Zeavola has several ongoing sustainability projects to ensure that environmentally friendly diving practices are used throughout the popular diving spots around Koh Phi Phi.
General Manager of the PADI Five Star-accredited resort, Florian Hallermann, said he was delighted with the efforts from the different teams involved, whose hard work created an immediate impact on the environment with every new boat coming into the bay using the buoys that same afternoon.
“It was fantastic working with the support of so many members of the local community to make sure a positive impact,” said Mr Hallermann. “In addition to Leisure Diving and the Phi Phi Dive Club, the local long-tail boat captains also did an excellent job of assisting with their boats, time and diving skills.”
Buoys and ropes were provided by the Local Sub District Administrative Organization for the installations which were focussed on Mosquito Island – a highly popular snorkelling spot for local tour providers as well as for visitors from Phuket and Krabi.
“Up until recently, there was only one buoy left in the area so most of the boats were forced to drop their anchor which can be very detrimental for coral growth in the waters beneath,” said Mr Hallermann.
Underwater wonders: The waters surrounding Zeavola truly are a diver’s paradise, with seahorses, ghost pipefish, colourful Nudibranchs, squat lobsters, spider crabs and rare species such as the Whale Shark.
“While this project was a success, there are still a lot of other beaches which need to be addressed. We are working with the local dive communities at other northern Phi Phi dive centres to set dates to continue this work in the future,” he said.
Zeavola is built around a sustainability ethos, with features such as a water reserve system which includes four deep wells and a reverse osmosis plant to completely minimise unnecessary water consumption at the resort – efforts which have earned the resort a membership in the international ‘green’ hotels group Green Pearls.
Not only has the resort met the required components and prerequisites to become a PADI Five Star member, it has also been awarded the PADI Green Star Award, for outstanding contribution to the environment through the resort’s project ‘Coral Freedom’.
The efforts of ‘Coral Freedom’ are focussed on reversing the devastating effects of coral bleaching, a consequence of high carbon footprints and increasing global warming, and have so far seen over 10,000 coral fragments replanted around Phi Phi that were regenerated in Zeavola’s coral nursery.
Zeavola is part of the Green Fins project which is coordinated by the United Nations Environmental Programme as part of a global effort to increase public awareness and resort management practices that will benefit the conservation of coral reefs and reduce unsustainable tourism practices.
Visit website: www.zeavola.com
