Reef Clean Up, July 30th 2009

   Our latest effort to keep Koh Tao clean came as a under water clean up of Japanese gardens and Sairee reef.  A group of 15 divers were involved, some having just finished their Open Water course with us.  Under the direction of our Dive masters the buddy teams searched for unwanted items and found the first site fairly clean which came as good news.  Sairee reef however kept our divers busy and most of them managed to fill their bags with items such as batteries, plastic bottles and wrappers and unwanted fishing gear thrown in the water by passing fishing boats.  These lines often with hooks still on them can prove fatal to fish long after they have been thrown into the sea.  This has inspired us to make Sairee Beach and Reef the target of our next clean-up.  This will be on 19th September 2009 International Clean-up Day. 

If you are traveling to Koh Tao in September and wish to participate in this clean up, please drop us a mail on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For more information on clean ups in your area, check out the project AWARE foundation.  www.projectaware.org

Apart from participating in monthly reef and beach clean ups, Scuba Junction is also involved in several projects to promote environmental awareness through education and training, and long term marine conservation efforts.

As tourism continues to expand, coral reefs come under increasing threats and pressure. Unfortunately there are many dive operators and resort that are more focused on development than on sustainable tourism practices.

International Projects - GREEN FINS Thailand

Scuba Junction is an active member of Green Fins Thailand, a non-profit organization that was founded a few years ago in Thailand and now has spread to other SE Asian countries.

All Green Fins member have to adhere to a strict code of conduct and operate at a minimum discharge policy.

Setting good examples however is not enough, also through Reef Ecology Education and Reef Watch Monitoring Scuba Junction helps creating awareness for divers and general public of the serious situation the coral reefs are in worldwide.

Those interested can get free Reef Ecology training and help monitor the health of our marine ecosystem. Results are reported online in the international Reef Watch Data Base, which is part of UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programs).

Local Projects - Biorock Artificial Reef

Marine Conservation Koh Tao is a coalition of Thai and foreign business owners from Koh Tao organized under Save Koh Tao.

Programs developed and initiated through the group are chosen by the community members and funded through private donations, merchandise sales, and fund raising events.

Marine conservation is vital for the long-term sustainability of Koh Tao’s economy and environment. Monthly beach and underwater clean ups, mooring buoy projects and other conservation programs like turtle releases and giant clamp projects are part of conservation efforts organized on Koh Tao.

The new BioRock project is a result of this successful corporation and as far as we know unique in its set up and funding. No where else in the world has a local community been able plan, fund and execute such an ambitious plan of almost 40.000 USD, raised exclusively through donations and fund raising events.

Thanks to our efforts as a community we were able to convince the Thai government that development should go in close cooperation with local communities to help protect also what not readily can be seen from the surface.

All visitors to Koh Tao are encouraged to volunteer or participate in the regular fund raising events, clean ups or other activities to help preserve paradise….