Shocking images of numerous dead fish and broken coral littering the seabed at Hon Bac in Nha Phu Bay, Khanh Hoa Province, have gone viral after being posted on social media. Local authorities are urgently investigating the incident.

Nguyen Quang Huy, a diving instructor in Khanh Hoa, recently shared visuals of the devastation on social media, showing large numbers of dead marine fish and coral reefs broken at the base. The footage, captured by a group of German tourists while diving on August 15 in Hon Bac (Dong Ninh Hoa Ward, Khanh Hoa), has drawn widespread public attention.

According to Huy, other diving guides in the area also witnessed the alarming scene, with fish carcasses scattered across the seabed and hard coral reefs severely fractured.

“The coral structures appear to be cleanly snapped, barren and fragmented. This kind of damage is characteristic of mid-level and bottom-depth explosive shockwaves,” Huy explained.

He added that explosions underwater produce shockwaves that kill fish en masse and break coral across their stems rather than uprooting them as a ship anchor might. “Back in 2019 and 2020, I witnessed two mine explosions in the distance while teaching diving at a depth of 21 meters off the coast of Quy Nhon. The shockwave was so intense it made my heart race. When I surfaced, there were dead fish floating all around,” he recalled.

Huy hopes his social media warnings will raise public awareness and discourage the use of homemade explosives for fishing, which poses serious threats to both human safety and marine ecosystems.

Evidence of explosive fishing suspected

Preliminary analysis of the images suggests possible use of explosive fishing methods, according to officials at Khanh Hoa’s Sub-Department of Fisheries, Seas, and Islands. However, a definitive conclusion awaits formal assessment by authorities. The department has advised the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to coordinate with relevant agencies for a thorough investigation and resolution.

Nha Phu Bay is one of Vietnam’s premier diving destinations, renowned for its rich and diverse marine ecosystem. The mass death of marine life not only causes severe environmental damage but also undermines the tourism appeal of Nha Trang and Khanh Hoa, especially given the area’s popularity among international scuba divers.

PV