PHI PHI ISLANDS, Thailand – Bobbing on the teal waters of the Andaman Sea, I transfer from a speedboat to a diving support vessel that is carrying precious cargo of seven bamboo sharks – five juveniles and two adults.

We are at Koh Ma, or Dog Island, where the sharks will be released into their natural habitat.

I am visiting the Phi Phi Islands, which are made up of six islands known for their picture-perfect beaches and dramatic limestone cliffs. The islands were made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach (2000), which was filmed at Maya Bay on one of the islands.

But years of overtourism have severely disrupted the area’s rich marine life. After a concerted effort to nurse the surrounding ecosystem back to health, Maya Bay reopened in 2022 after a four-year shutdown and now has an annual two-month break from visitors.

SAii Phi Phi Island Village, where I spend two nights in March, is located within a national park. The resort is also doing its share to protect the surrounding environment.

Mr Bart Callens, general manager for