Feature | Conserving the Last Frontier
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We are told that the furthest reaches from civilisation are untouched and pristine . That days are spent under blue skies and swaying palm trees . That gentle waves lap the shore hypnotically . That birds sing to the rising sun and owls whoop to the rising moon . This is the idyllic tropical setting of our dreams . This is the last frontier . This is the Mergui Archipelago .
By the time we reach the stilted villages along the coastline , we wonder what lies ahead with a sense of foreboding . The stench of decaying seafood is almost unbearable . It is the end of April and an unforgiving westerly monsoon has washed ashore . The only vessel available to take us across to the island is an old longtail boat . The tide is dry and the captain has to wait . After hours pass , the tide is finally in our favour and the wind has stopped , but it is twilight . The sun is setting in an hour , but we must press on . This is Myanmar and it is not permitted to stay in the village overnight . If we do not make this passage , we will have to turn back to Khawthung , where there are designated hotels for foreigners , and we will lose a day .
Our work now begins : We have come here for the ghost nets .
There are silhouettes of islands on the horizon backlit by the glow from large fishing vessels . In calm weather , our boat might reach the island in four hours . But we estimate it will take six . We sleep and awake , and repeat , under the canopy of the loud and bone-shaking longtail . The only consolation is that the rain has stopped and the sky has cleared . Our inky ocean is illuminated by a silver moon .
We arrive early next morning and are greeted by resort staff who have been deeply concerned about our whereabouts and our safety . But we have arrived , nonetheless . That morning we grab a quick breakfast and assemble at the floating jetty . Divers are ushered onto the rigid-hull inflatable , while the support team takes the longtail to the first site . Our work now begins : We have come here for the ghost nets . Hereon , choppy seas , grey skies , chilly winds , and devastated reefs are all we can look forward to on our journey to tropical paradise .
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