The thousands of tourists who come to Eilat during the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday (October 8-13) and plan to pitch tents on the city's southern beach will be surprised to discover that, unlike in previous years, they will have to park their cars some distance from their tents. This is because officials from the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority (INNPPA) recently decided to limit the entry of cars to the beach to protect the coral reef.

Eilat's southern beach - whose entire length is a marine nature preserve of diving sites and an underwater world rich with corals and marine animals - is expected to attract many vacationers, especially since tenting on the north beach has been banned for the past year and the number of Israelis traveling to the Sinai has declined considerably.

"Thousands of vacationers will sleep in tents along the shore," says Guy Eilon, director of the Eilat district of INNPPA.

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Eilat's southern beaches, including the coral reef adjacent to the shore, have always been completely accessible to cars and vacationers. Heavy damage has been caused to the corals and marine animal populations have declined. For this reason, INNPPA is taking immediate measures to reduce the access of cars to the reef, while organizing convenient access to the water for swimmers and divers.

"It is important to us that the preserve be accessible," says Eilon, "and that the public be able to enjoy the underwater world, while protecting nature from damage caused by swimmers and divers."

The first thing INNPPA did was cordon off the entire length of the waterfront and post signs indicating the nearest opening to the water.

"The ropes define the areas where swimming is allowed," explains Eilon. "It is not a fence and can easily be traversed, but bathers mostly respect the ropes and enter the water in the designated areas."

Eilon reports that this has significantly reduced the damage to the corals on the upper part of the reef, across which swimmers used to walk, and the amount of enforcement required by INNPPA.

"When the corals are healthy, all the animals that depend on them are healthy, too," says Eilon.

Another measure implemented by INNPPA is the placing of boulders all along the beach 10-20 meters from the water. The boulders are of the same granite as the surrounding mountains, so they blend in with the landscape.

"The boulders completely prevent the entry of cars, as opposed to in the past, when cars came right up to the water's edge," continues Eilon. "This caused tremendous damage - pollution from fuel and oil, the disturbing of the sand and the crushing of shells and crabs at low tide."

In addition to protecting the reef, the positioning of the boulders has increased the number of vacationers on the beach as the cars used to take up space that can now be occupied by tents.

Other improvements include the installation of mooring area for lowering divers into the water, at the two most popular sites.

"Diving clubs can lower divers directly from boats into the water," says Eilon. "This will prevent damage to the coral from divers walking on the sea bed and the disturbing the sand."