Welcome to Patong Beach, Phuket Island, Thailand
Not many tourists after the tsunami
Beaches cleaned up very quickly
Aftermath of the tsunami
You can see the water levels on this storefront
The “missing” posters in the airport were very sad
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Family transportation, I saw as many a 5 people on one moped
Lots of mopeds
Lots and lots of mopeds
The local gas station (hut). I guess you don't need a big gas station if you only sell one gallon at a time.
My hotel room was electrifying
Then where do you throw it? I thought this was a joke. I've since learned that this is fairly common in many countries. The plumbing can't handle toilet paper. You throw it in the trash.
Many boats were lost in the tsunami
The boat I stayed on, the South Siam Divers
Big sun deck - empty - normally would have 70 divers on board
Thailand flag
FIVE dives per day!
Ready to dive!
The ship's crew and divemasters
Some of the divers on the boat. This group's from Russia.
Need more alcohol in these cups, diving is done for the day. Also, tons of great food always available.
Moorish Idol
Barracuda
Banded sea snake
Moorish idol
Emperor Angelfish
Blue-ringed Angelfish
Clown Triggerfish
Oriental Sweetlips Grunt
Yellowback fusilier
Moorish Idols
Powderblue surgeonfish
Redtail butterflyfish
Redtail butterflyfish and Pinecone soldierfish
Clown anemonefish
Lion Fish (Scorpion fish)
Blue spotted ray
Giant Moray eel
Lionfish (scorpionfish), very venomous
Lionfish
Spiny lobster
Giant clam
Giant moray eel
Honeycomb moray eel
That's me doing a swimthrough
Can you see the poisonous fish?
Now do you see it? It's the most venomous fish known in the world - a stonefish
Yellow moray eel
Leopard shark
Black clownfish
Thai fishing boat
Thai Navy ship run aground from tsunami
My favorite divemaster
