NGAPALI Beach on  the Western Coast  of Myanmar is not  yet a place for the jet set; and visitors to it prefer to keep it that way. Why spoil Nature in her untouched state, especially on such a beautiful white-sand beach, facing blue waters of the Bay of Bengal and spectacular Technicolour sunsets? It’s a partially-kept secret, becoming more well-known to travellers worldwide, though slowly, that Ngapali offers the best of the four S’s: Sand, Sun, Sea and Seafood. Add Sunsets as a garnish to a full plate. Another fact few people know is that Rudyard Kipling stayed for some time at Linthar village next to Ngapali, where he first started the draft of Jungle Book with Mogli, the boy who grew up with charming Balu the Bear, wily Kaa the python, etc. His letters home described a scene of sand and sea which is still unchanged a hundred years later. Animals as charming as Balu or as wily as Kha still exist in this area, some which have disappeared in more industrialised

countries. Myanmar is lucky that her 2000km shoreline is relatively free of pollution and home to many species of sea life, including the endangered whale shark. Born about 50 cm long, they can grow up to 18 metres, although the average size is about half of that. The skin is distinctively mottled in grey and yellow. It takes about 30 years for one to be sexually mature and they live up to 150 years. In other Asian seas they are almost extinct. The Myanmar do not eat this fish, so unless the fishermen have a customer who is usually a foreigner, they will release these gentle beings back to the sea. Fishermen know that casting their nets near the whale sharks ensure a good catch much like fishing with dolphins as partners. Last year, an Asian businessman offered good money to the fishermen of Ngapali for whale shark. Fishing for whale shark has been prohibited in the Philippines since 1998 as they have become very rare, and in many other places worldwide, making it hard for enthusiasts to find their prize. A diving enthusiast from Munich heard about the deal taking place in Ngapali, and raised the alarm. U Oliver E. Soe Thet, President of The Myanmar Chefs Association and Daw Khin Khet Khet Khaing, who were instigators in the sanctuary for sea turtles at Bayview Beach Resort, Ngapali (see Turtle Fostering, Vol. 4. No. 63), informed the Ministries of Forestry, and Tourism. The officials concerned set the wheels in motion and by March 2001 a law was in place to protect whale sharks in all Myanmar waters. As one high official explained it; "They deserved to be saved, they are harmless and friendly creatures." In places like Australia, whale shark ‘watching tours’ are great attractions and million-dollar businesses, as many people want to see these rare animals in their natural habitat.  In Ngapali, during the months of December and January, the whale sharks are often seen gliding through the waves. Myanmar is lucky that it still has a lot of virgin land and sea, not only as draws for tourists but as sites of perfect nature conservation.
Photo courtesy diversionoz.com