One of the main deficiencies of Koh Tao’s tourist industry is the lack of awareness about marine conservation on the island. There are many magazines and other media around trying to promote awareness but much of it still fails to reach the great majority.

Trying to bridge this gap Eco Koh Tao has recently teamed up with groups from ISV (International Student Volunteers) to provide a two-day introduction to Marine Conservation as part of a wider two week volunteer program on Koh Tao.

The students were very enthusiastic and after watching a couple of marine focused documentaries we took to the local waters of Mae Haad to discover the reef and to try to learn about this amazing ecosystem.

Our second day was spent in the north of the island at Mango Bay where some volunteers took the opportunity to try their hand at scuba diving. The rest of the group experienced snorkelling on one of Koh Tao’s more pristine reefs to see how a thriving reef community should be.

The students found the two day program immensely enjoyable and informative with 4 of them continuing on to complete their Open Water Diver certification during their limited free time.

It was great to be able to impart such rich knowledge on new visitors to the island. Hopefully with a burgeoning environmental movement on Koh Tao programs like this will become more common.