A Karst of Thousands! by M0B1US
The coastal waters of southern Thailand are world reknowned for the karsts that pepper the landscape and have featured in many famous movies, including most famously James Bond?s "The Man with the Golden Gun", hence James Bond Island in Ao Phang-Nga bay. These dramatic spires of limestone rise from the waters edge and valley floors almost vertically to heights in excess of 900 metres and provide excellent conditions for rock climbers and cavers. They also offer a fantastic backdrop for the less adventurous, often providing a stunning backdrop to some of the area's best beaches.Following is an excerpt about Thai Karsts:
'These limestone karsts were formed 260 million years ago when a shallow sea, running the entire length of south Asia, slowly built up deep deposits of coral and shells which were later buried under sediments deposited from inland.
These remains formed limestone and this was thrust up above the surface when the Indian subcontinent collided with mainland Asia some 30 million years ago. From Gualin in China, to Sarawak in Borneo, the limestone created craggy islands on land and in water. In the South of Thailand, the provinces of Surat Thani, Phang Nga, Krabi and Trang have the most spectacular examples of this type of scenery.
Limestone is extremely porous and so water can easily erode it through rain or wave action, which makes for some spectacular caves (Thai "tham", although sea chambers may be referred to with the same word as a room - a "hong"). When the roofs of islands or other coastal caves collapse, the prized, blissfully private beach and secret garden of an island "doughnut" may be created. Caves are also associated with bats and in Thailand with swiftlets that make the edible birds nests.'There is something truly magical about sailing between these monolitic remains of living creatures from millions of years ago...
