image

epa05387095 Picture made available on 24 June 2016 shows a foreign tourist snorkeling in warm sea waters, near a large bleached coral exposed in low tide, in the Gulf of Thailand, off the eastern seaboard island of Koh Samet, about 200km from Bangkok, in Rayong province, Thailand, 22 June 2016. The waters of the national park are known for its coral reefs attracting tourists for snorkeling and scuba diving. Faced with reports of alarming damage of reefs, Thailand has shut ten popular dive sites in southern Thailand, struck by major coral bleaching caused largely by warming sea temperatures. EPA/BARBARA WALTON