A pristine paradise in Thailand that got a major big-screen boost 19 years ago in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, The Beach, will stay closed until 2021 so endangered coral there can recover, reports SkyNews.
Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island had originally been closed for four months last year because an increase in visitors to the stunning location was taking a terrible toll on the ecology. An estimated 80 percent of coral has reportedly died. Authorities have determined that the magnetic location in the Andaman Sea needs more time to fully recover. That means a lot of people will need to alter their plans on where to soak up the sun and take a dip.
SkyNews notes that as many as “6,000 people had been making the trip to experience the stunning vistas every day, getting there by boats from the nearby resorts of Phi Phi, Phuket and Krabi.” In addition to delicate coral, mangrove and the beach all need time to recover, according to Songtham Sukswang, director of Thailand’s office of national parks.
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