Tarutao Island
Location:
 6°30'-6°44'N, 99°36'-99°42'E; approximately 22 km off the coast of Satun, western Peninsular Thailand.
Area:
 The total land area of Tarutao Island is 15,100 ha of which no more than 2,000 ha are wetland habitat.
Altitude:
 All wetlands are at or near sea level. The island rises to 708m.
Biogeographical Province:
 4.7.1.
Wetland type:
 05, 06 & 07.
Description of site:

A steeply mountainous, mainly forested island with six distinct areas of mangroves and associated intertidal mudflats around its coast. The island formerly supported a human population which has since been evacuated. Approximately 10% of the area has been logged, cultivated or otherwise disturbed. The island is now included in the Tarutao National Park which encompasses 149,000 ha of open sea and islets together with the principal islands of Tarutao, Rawi and Adang.

The following areas were measured from the 1:50,000 Topographic Map:

  1. Khlong Phante Malakaa 195 ha; an open water inlet with well developed mangrove, parts of which have been disturbed, and a narrow fringe of mudflats. Parts of the mangrove occur in association with limestone sink-holes.
  2. Ao Talo Lingai: 128 ha; an area of relatively undisturbed mangrove (78 ha) with a narrow fringe of mudflats and a grassy sand spit (50 ha).
  3. Ao Talo Wao: 198 ha; an area of mangroves (72 ha) and mudflats (126 ha).
  4. Ao Talo Dabu: 97 ha; an area of mangroves (38 ha) and mudflats (59 ha).
  5. Ao Talo Dang: c.810 ha; an area of well developed mangroves (57 ha), less disturbed than at Khlong Phante Malakaa and with many huge Sonneratia trees, adjacent grassy flats (55 ha), and very extensive mudflats (c.700 ha) around the southern shore of island.
  6. An unnamed area on the northeast coast, south of Laem To Sen: 13 ha; mangroves.
The water regime is principally tidal with some freshwater run-off. The tidal amplitude at Ko Koi Noi ranges from 0.5m at neap tides to 3.0m at spring tides.
Climatic conditions:
 Tropical monsoonal climate with an average annual rainfall of 2,614 mm, most of which falls during the months of May to November. The average temperature is 27.5°C.
Principal vegetation:
 Chiefly mangroves; there are some pockets of undisturbed vegetation with trees 20m tall, but most of the area was cut-over 10-20 years ago. Rhizophora apiculata and R. mucronata usually dominate, with Sonneratia spp in the least disturbed sites and some Nypa fruticans. Small areas of freshwater swamp forest with much Salacca conferta occur around Ao Talo Dang (Congdon, 1982). Some 60% of the island is covered with semi-evergreen rain forest. There are good examples of various coastal plant communities including a herbaceous strand flora, a Barringtonia formation, and patches of a coastal heath forest dominated by Melaleuca cajuputi and Eugenia spicata. Another distinct forest type occurring on limestone outcrops is also recognized (Congdon, 1982).
Land tenure:
 The island and its wetlands are state owned; the surrounding seas are Thai territorial waters.
Conservation measures taken:
 The entire area lies within Tarutao National Park. A preliminary management plan has been prepared.
Conservation measures proposed:
 A comprehensive management plan is currently being prepared for Tarutao National Park, and will contain proposals for improved conservation measures. Tarutao has been proposed as a World Heritage Site. Use of sandy beaches by tourists should be restricted, preferably by zoning. This would protect vulnerable nesting shorebirds such as Charadrius peronii and possibly Esacus magnirostris from undue disturbance.
Land use:
 Mainly recreational, although transient fishermen continue to make occasional visits. There is a considerable amount of fishing with trawl nets and lights in the surrounding waters, and also some illegal dynamite fishing, especially over coral reefs.
Possible changes in land use:
 It is proposed to build an all-weather concrete landing quay, which would improve access to the site. At the present time, the park is closed to tourists throughout the monsoon season. There may also be pressure to build additional park accommodation.
Disturbances and threats: Such threats as have been documented affect mainly the offshore marine resources within the park. (Coral reefs are being destroyed by dynamite fishing; sea turtles are being caught by trawlers).
Economic and social values: The park has great appeal for tourism and recreation, and is one of only two sites in Thailand to be listed as an ASEAN Heritage Park.
Fauna:

The wetlands support the scarce Ardea sumatrana, which is believed to nest here. Heliopais personata is found regularly on the Khlong Phante Malakaa (three birds were seen in April 1986) and has also been recorded from Ao Talo Dang. It is still not known whether the species is resident or a winter visitor. Rocky or sandy beaches may be expected to support Esacus magnirostris. There is one record of Pseudibis gigantea, collected in 1904 (Riley, 1938), and unconfirmed reports suggesting the occasional (post 1980) presence of Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus have been received. Pelargopsis amauroptera and Pitta megarhyncha are both mangrove specialists with limited world ranges occurring on Tarutao.

The park is important as one of the last sites in Thailand for nesting marine turtles. A few individuals of three species, Lepidochelys olivacea, Eretmochelys imbricata and Chelonia mydas, still come ashore to lay their eggs on the beaches of the Adang island group, to the west of Tarutao Island.
Special floral values: The island supports extremely good examples of beach and coastal, terrestrial floristic formations. Such vegetation has usually been destroyed from similar situations on the mainland. The park supports a number of plant species which are either very rare or absent elsewhere in Thailand: among these is Aegialites rotundifolia (Plumbaginaceae) which is restricted to mangroves. Congdon (1982) lists no fewer than 56 species of mangrove and brackish water plants from Tarutao.
Research and facilities: Botanical survey work on Tarutao has been carried out since the turn of the century, and culminated in the intensive study of Congdon (1982). Research on coral reefs is also being carried out by Dr Allan Geater and associates from the Prince of Songkhla University in Hat Yai. A preliminary inventory of the birds was produced by Congdon and Sayer (unpublished) and is held on file at the Centre for Wildlife Research at Mahidol University in Bangkok.
References: Congdon (1981 & 1982); Mahidol University (1977); Riley (1938).
Criteria for inclusion: 1b, 2a, 2b.
Source:
 Jira Jintanugool and Philip D. Round.