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PADI hosts Tsunami travel update news
They have received numerous inquiries from divers worldwide asking how they can help. One way you can provide immediate assistance is by supporting the Tsunami Relief Fund recently established by PADI. But another, and possibly even more important way you can help those most affected by the tsunamis is to continue diving and not change your travel plans to these areas that are ready to support tourism – many of which received minimal to no damage. Supporting the local economy will help ensure the people in the affected areas do not face yet another tragedy, this time economic, in 2005 and beyond. The following information has been compiled from a variety of sources, including Ministry of Tourism's, international media and local PADI Dive Center and Resort Members. We encourage you to pay close attention to travel advisories issued by respective home countries and contact your destination’s Ministry of Tourism and/or PADI Dive Center or Resort for the most up-to-date information. Click here to visit the site.
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Indian
Ocean tsunami warning system by mid-2006 Tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean will be set up by mid-2006 under the leadership of the United Nations, agreed the governmental World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan, on Thursday. The news comes as Indonesia increased its death toll from the tsunami on 26 December 2004 to at least 160,000, raising the total number of deaths to about 220,000. The technology to detect tsunamis in the Indian Ocean region should be up and running within 12 to 18 months, said Salvano Briceno, director of the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). Developing plans for an effective response to any warning, and educating local communities, will take longer - perhaps two to three years - Briceno said. Individual countries, including the US and
India, had said they wanted to coordinate the Indian Ocean
system. But various UN agencies and other organisations
will now take responsibility, under the framework of the
ISDR. Mitigating the damage from any future tsunami - through better building, for example - is also crucial and the World Meteorological Organization, the UN Development Programme and financial institutions will work with individual countries on this. Lastly, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will lead the projects for community education. Within the next few weeks, the ISDR will start distributing funds to the individual agencies to start work. The exact form of the early warning system - and how it might be used and extended to provide warnings of other natural hazards - is still to be thrashed out. "There will be more meetings to discuss the road map," said Yoshitaka Murata, Japan's minister of state for disaster management, and president of the conference. Once the Indian Ocean system is decided, it will then be more straightforward to extend the system to other seas and oceans, Briceno added. |
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more time in the water with Regaldive! After a very successful first year of direct flights to the Southern Red Sea, Regaldive is delighted to offer their guests seats on this season’s direct service from London Gatwick to Marsa Alam. Now you can spend more time on the water and less time on the road! The service from Gatwick to Marsa Alam starts on March 17th and runs through to November. Flying directly into Marsa Alam cuts down on transfer time considerably and means much improved access to the wealth of pristine dive sites away from the crowds. Divers can enjoy shore dives from along the 100kms of coastal reef or head out on day boats to a number of spectacular sites including Elphinstone for dramatic walls, drop-offs and an amazing variety of marine life. Regaldive’s latest programme offers a wider choice of accommodation options in the Southern Red Sea for both liveaboard divers and those wanting a shore-based package. Regaldive’s liveaboard itineraries cover some of the most incredible diving in the area including the legendary Rocky, Zabargad and spectacular St. Johns. Divers can experience first class liveaboard diving from just £749 for a week on the superbly appointed Asmaa. Package includes flights to Marsa Alam, transfers, 7 nights FB and soft drinks onboard. Depending on group size, Regaldive also offer free places on every liveaboard. Shore-based divers are spoilt for choice with a number of great accommodation options. From the beautifully-designed Akassia Swiss Resort in El Quseir, to the popular Sol Y Mar and excellent Kahramana resort and Club Amaraya in Marsa Alam. For those looking for the ultimate in peace and tranquillity, with exceptional diving on site, the Shams Alam Resort is situated even further South. Groups can take advantage of the chill-out atmosphere at Shams Alam and even get one free place for every 11 divers. To find out more about Regaldive’s programme to the Southern Red Sea and the flights to Marsa Alam, visit www.regaldive.co.uk.
Red Sea Digital Photography Workshop Announced Dan Burton, one of the UK's top Digital Underwater Photographers, has announced his Red Sea Digital Photography Workshop. Taking place between 25th February - 4th March 2005. More details on the course at http://www.digitalunderwater.com. |
New
marine park on Great Barrier Reef? Environment Minister Desley Boyle released details of the plan yesterday, saying it would help protect whales, turtles and dugongs, increase fish stocks and boost tourism. "More than a million visitors are attracted to this region each year," Ms Boyle said. "It is essential that we give this beautiful and unique region the best protection we can to preserve it for future generations while enabling people to continue gaining pleasure from it. "It will also help us to manage the impacts of urban growth with population expected to grow from 165,000 in 1996 to more than 243,000 by 2016." Under the proposal, the Great Sandy Marine Park would be created, tripling the current protected area, which includes the Hervey Bay and Woongarra Marine Parks. The new park also would include the world's largest sand island, Fraser Island, and the Great Sandy Strait. Three-quarters of the marine park would be zoned for general use where fishing, recreation and tourism activities could continue. But 7 per cent of the region would be banned to trawling, nearly 4 per cent to fishing and in 12 per cent there would be no hand collecting allowed for aquariums. Queensland Seafood Industry Association president John Olsen yesterday said the group was still digesting the proposed changes but warned they could impact on commercial fishers. "We've got to have a closer look but we're at the stage where any losses of access to fisheries is a big deal," he said. "We've had to face a lot of closures in recent years, particularly in the Barrier Reef area, and while this will be small in comparison, it's still concerning." Public comment on the proposed marine park changes can be made until February 28. |
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Pathologist finishes post mortems on divers The post mortems on divers Dave Shaw and Deon Dreyer - whose bodies were retrieved from the world's third-deepest freshwater cave, Boesmansgat in the Northern Cape, has been completed, authorities in Bloemfontein said. The Free State's chief pathologist, Professor Jan Botha said the post mortems were finished but that he could not comment on the results. "The reports would be sent to the investigating officer next week," Botha said in Bloemfontein. Police indicated earlier that an inquest case had been registered. The bodies of Shaw and Dreyer were taken to the state mortuary in Bloemfontein for post mortem examinations after they were retrieved from Boesmansgat near Danielskuil. Australian diver Shaw went missing during an extreme dive in Boesmansgat. He had been trying to recover the body of South African Deon Dreyer, who drowned in the cave while diving there in 1994. Dreyer's body had been lying at a depth of 270m at the bottom of the cave. Police and technical divers, while recovering equipment used, found the bodies drifting at a depth of between 20 and 25 metres. "Police divers, assisted by technical divers, started recovering the ropes and other equipment from the water when they saw Dave Shaw and Deon Dreyer's bodies at the cliff beneath the water," national police dive co-ordinator Superintendent Ernst Strydom said. The bodies were then brought to the surface shortly after 5pm. Although the investigation into Shaw's fatal dive is not finished yet it seems the Australian diver run out of time while trying to fit Dreyer's body into a body bag at 270m. Initial studies of a video Shaw was carrying while diving also suggest that Shaw "worked too hard" at that extreme depth. When divers found the bodies, Shaw's torch was entangled in lines tied to Dreyer's body.
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species at risk in dying Irish seas The study suggests that the food chain from shark to prawn is under threat. Basking sharks are being literally “run over” by ships in busy shipping lanes while deep-water mud habitats found in sea lochs are being targeted to put scampi on restaurant plates. The decline in cod has been well publicised, but skate have also been hit. Not a single example of the species was uncovered in the survey. However, the WWF is most worried that habitats which are the basis of marine life are being destroyed. It blames inadequate planning and poor management by the authorities. Overfishing, the dredging of the seabed for minerals and the increased traffic in shipping lanes are all taking a heavy toll beneath the surface. Oil and gas exploration, fish farming and the development of coastal areas are also adding to a man-made shockwave hitting the ecological system. Noel Dempsey, the minister for the marine, is anxious to hold talks with his British counterparts on a new “ecosystem approach” to marine conservation in the Irish Sea. In Britain, a new marine bill is likely to create an agency with powers to crack down on illegal fishing. The WWF report highlights the adverse effects on the seas around Ireland and Britain and their marine life of coastal development and “aquaculture”. The majority of damage to habitats is caused by trawling, dredging and sand or gravel excavation from the bottom of the sea. Horse mussel beds create a habitat for about 100 other species, but they are being destroyed by scallop dredging. Surveys carried out in Strangford Loch in Northern Ireland show an area of these beds covering almost 2 square miles has been lost in the past decade. The WWF says there are only a few locations around Britain where fan mussels remain undisturbed. Dredging for scallops is also damaging maerl beds, which are made up of calcified seaweed and provide an important nursery ground for species essential to commercial fishing. The pink sea fan coral, Eunicella verrucosa, is declining in the least likely place — England’s only natural marine reserve, off the coast of the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel, whose waters should be among the most protected in the area. There is also concern about the sunset cup coral, Leptopsammia pruvoti, which inhabits the same waters. Both corals look as if they belong on a tropical reef. The pink sea fan has the appearance of a delicate miniature tree while the sunset cup coral has vibrant colours.
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Koh Lanta update from Blue Planet Divers Press release from Michelle Davis, Managing Director Some days have passed since the coastal areas around the Indian Ocean were hit by a tidal wave, the likes of which have never been experienced in this part of the world before. Thailand was just one of the countries who suffered from this natural disaster. The coastal areas of Patong Beach in Phuket, Khao Lak and Phi Phi Island have been hit the hardest. Here on Koh Lanta, where I have been running my own dive school, Blue Planet Divers, for 3 years, we have been extremely lucky – and I realise it more so as each day passes and further footage is broadcasted of the local areas surrounding us and the devastation they have suffered. As Lanta was hardly affected it has enabled us to offer aid to those who need it. The Blue Planet dive boat has been over to Phi Phi with members of our staff willing to assist and we have been working alongside the Thai army, police rescue units and Thai marines. Five days on and the minimal damage that occurred in Lanta has been repaired, by way of beach clean ups, re-building of beach bars, restaurants and bungalows. We, on Lanta, have an obligation to the island and the local Thais who rely on tourists for their survival. How easy it would be to close my business and head overseas to work, but where does that leave my staff and their families. For the local people on Koh Lanta, who are still in fear that a re-occurrence could happen, as they have never before experienced a disaster of this nature, it is my duty and responsibility to make them feel they can continue their lives as before, so therefore we are desperate to return to some kind of normality as soon as possible. The best anyone can do is not write off Lanta as a disaster area – this is simply not the case – the reefs are undamaged, the beaches back to their former glory, but without holiday makers and divers, it means nothing. We
ask you to spread the word that Koh Lanta is the charming,
beautiful island it has always been, and we are very lucky
for that, that there is still at least one island in the
south Andaman Sea not affected by this terrible catastrophe.
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Images from Koh Lanta Thailand |
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Divernet has detailed listings of dive centres both affected and unaffected by Tsunami Dive centres in areas directly or indirectly affected by the recent tsunamis are reporting to Divernet daily on their current operational status. 95% of those listed are fully operational now. Get the latest information here.
First person report - Lohifushi, Maldives Click here for a first person report on the Lohifushi resort in the Maldives.
Shark
practice helps Blue Planet Aquarium record profits success Turnover for the period was almost £6.8m, up from £6.1m in 2003. Visitor numbers across both attractions were up by 6%. Chairman Angel Barrachina said the company would not pay a final dividend to shareholders but would instead reinvest profits into the aquariums. She added: "With the continued good management and investment in new attractions, we are expectant that visitor numbers will continue to grow and look forward to the coming year."Blue Planet in Cheshire had a particularly successful year with a 9% increase in visitor numbers thanks to an outdoor advertising campaign. Spend per visit also increased by 4%. Blue Planet's "Dive With Sharks" attraction,, which featured in TV teen soap Hollyoaks, was recently voted one of the 10 best places in the world to dive by the Discovery Channel. Click here to visit their site.
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Divers begin Thailand's big coral clean-up Boatloads of volunteer divers descended into the azure waters of the Andaman Sea to clear away the tsunami debris littering Thailand's famed coral reefs. The killer waves flung everything from people to televisions to plastic chairs into the pristine waters, including those around the paradise island of Koh Phi Phi, made famous by cult backpacker movie "The Beach". However, marine experts said overall damage was not as bad as initially feared and that Mother Nature's own clean-up process had already kicked into action. "There was a lot of sand on the reef, but the current has moved a lot of the sediment away, so we can see that much of the coral is still alive," said Niphon Phangsuwan of the Marine Biological Centre on Sunday in Phuket, 50 km (30 miles) to the north. Initial surveys suggest some of the reefs along Thailand's western coast, which attracts thousands of snorkeling and diving tourists each year, escaped totally unscathed. Overall, the damage has been estimated at around 5 percent. Large chunks of coral snapped off by the rushing surge of debris were still alive and would continue to grow, Niphon said. Only the smaller fragments would die. Off Phi Phi, where divers had to negotiate sunken computer screens and submerged fishing boats, the reefs -- often referred to as the tropical rainforests of sea -- continue to support their glittering array of marine life, including eels, sea snakes and turtles gliding gently beneath the waves. Biologists said that while the tsunami rose to a height of up to 11 metres (36 feet) above normal sea levels when it crashed ashore around Phuket, under the surface of the water there appeared to have been relatively little movement. "There's some damage to the coral, but not quite as much as I had expected," said Tony Clark, a British diving instructor working in Thailand. "But there is some debris: crisp packets, sanitary products, plastic bottles, things which won't decay." Most of the rubbish appeared to have been lying on the reefs since the tsunami hit two weeks ago, although some plastic bags or cans had clearly been there for much longer -- ugly reminders of man's intrusion into a pristine wilderness. The tsunami may just reverse the unchecked development which was rapidly destroying the island's environment. With most of the buildings on Phi Phi lying in ruins, its entire future as a tourist resort hangs in the balance, and there are even calls to turn the craggy, jungle-clad island into a nature reserve. "I feel that some of the areas must be made off-limits, with prohibitions on the divers," said Petipong Pungbun Na Ayudhya, an environment ministry official. |
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Asian Tsunami, how to help? Global aid organizations have launched urgent appeals for donations to help survivors of Sunday's Indian Ocean earthquake disaster. More than 140,000 people are confirmed killed by the waves and millions more are homeless. Many governments and organizations - including the US, Canada, Australia, the EU and the UN - are sending aid. The UN has warned that supplies are urgently needed to support the survivors and to try and prevent disease which, it says, could double the death toll. The Disasters Emergency Committee - www.dec.org.uk - is an umbrella group of UK aid organizations - including Action Aid, British Red Cross and Oxfam - working to provide clean water, food and shelter to thousands. To call from the UK, dial 0870 60 60 900. The United Nations World Food Programme - www.wfp.org - is seeking donations to feed victims of the earthquake. Medecins Sans Frontieres - www.msf.org - is sending aid workers to the region, focusing on medical care for survivors and displaced people after the rescue operations. The United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef - www.unicef.org.uk - is working to meet the "urgent needs of hundreds of thousands of people" affected by the tsunami disaster. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR - www.unhcr.ch - which has been helping victims of conflicts in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, is delivering relief supplies to tsunami survivors in both countries. The Red Cross, with its sister charity the Red Crescent, is supplying blankets, cooking utensils and other crucial goods. It has had to set up a new site - www.ifrc.org - because of the unprecedented demand from people wanting to make donations. You can donate to all the campaigns via their websites. For more information and other ways to donate visit the BBC website here. |
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| Regaldive
– Asian Tsunami Update
Thailand The team at Scuba Cat have advised that all their staff are safe and that both MV Scuba Cat and MV Scuba Adventure are in normal operation. The Dive Centre in Patong sustained minor damage and is expected to be fully operational again before the end of January. Early reports show that the corals and dive sites are largely undamaged. The Maldives All Regaldive islands and boats in the Maldives are operating normally. The airport at Male is fully operational with both boat and seaplane transfers running to normal schedules. Other Destinations Departures to Manado, Borneo, Pemba and all other Regaldive destinations are unaffected but clients are encouraged to call us on 0870 2201 777 should they have any questions. Our thoughts go out to all those affected by this tragic incident. Regaldive has made a donation to the disaster fund and would like to encourage donations at www.dec.org.uk.
Tsunami effects in Thailand Things on Phuket are returning to normal at a remarkable rate after Boxing Day’s tsunami hit the coast. Much of the island’s administrative and emergency services were untouched by the devastation and it is likely that this is one of the chief reasons why the island has been able to bounce back so quickly from this terrible ordeal. All major roads are still open and water and electricity supplies – except in a few small areas where damage was heaviest – are continuous and strong. Since the afternoon after the tsunami, Artasia editors have been touring the areas of the island hit by the wave. Below is an area by area breakdown compiled from these reports. Artasia will continue to update these as the days pass and new information comes to light. PHUKET INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Though seawater did breach the protective wall and initially flooded the runway at Phuket International Airport when the wave – in fact waves – hit, airport emergency crews quickly brought everything under control and it was re-opened by early Sunday evening and receiving flights from Bangkok, including one carrying Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who came to personally supervise the early stages of the rescue and clean-up efforts. Since then, there have been no signs of the chaos and madness some news agencies have been reporting. There is more an air of mild perturbedness and it's a little busier than usual for a high season. It's as busy with people arriving as leaving. While some of these are people here to search for lost relatives and friends and the rescue workers arriving from Bangkok and international agencies, many more are holiday-makers who have checked with their hotels and found them to be fully operational. NAI YANG BEACH Nai Yang Beach, just south of the airport, is decimated, however the two major hotels – Crown Nai Yang Suite and Pearl Village – set some way back from the beach – have received only nominal damage and will be back in full operation within a week or two, though the latteris not currently recommending bookings. Nai Yang Beach Resort is closed until further notice. Along the road closest to the beach, there is not a single shop, bar or restaurant that has not been destroyed – some are simply not there anymore. On the Thursday after the wave the clean up operation was in full swing. Some places have even started rebuilding. NAI THON BEACH At Andaman White Beach Resort the day after the wave, staff from the hotel had returned the beach to its usual pristine condition. When the wave hit here staff had already removed all of the guests from the beach and they were safely back in the hotel, which is set fairly high up the hillside. The only damage was to the resort’s dive centre and new beach bar – both at beach level – the latter, ironically, only having opened on Christmas Day. The new Trisara resort received only nominal damage to its beachfront pool and buildings. LAYAN BEACH While there was significant damage to the beach area – with seawater surging back some 400 metres from the beachfront, there is little development on or near Layan Beach and so, fortunately, little damage except for the downing of a few electrical poles. Layan Beach Resort is set well back from the beach and received no damage whatsoever to the rooms, but some water damage to there beach front buildings. BANGTAO BEACH Despite claims that it was totally destroyed in some TV news broadcasts, the internationally renowned Laguna Phuket complex, which fronts onto the centre of Bangtao Beach, has reported that only fifty of its 1100 rooms have been put out of action by the wave. One guest was killed when the water hit the resorts. The five hotels are reporting that they will be fully operational in less than a month with damage restricted to ground floor rooms close to the beach and a number of their beachfront restaurants and pools. At Laguna Beach Resort the day after the wave, many guests languished not in misery but upon sun-loungers, baking beneath the clear blue skies. The south end of Bangtao Beach was not so lucky and took a huge hit. Bill O'Leary – an Aussie who runs the famous Aman Cruises operation from here – reported a surge of two metres plus, that did not withdraw for well over an hour. Everything is damaged, much beyond repair. To describe the power of the wave at Bangtao, after it had smashed across about 200 metres – through trees, holiday bungalows and hotels – it ripped layers of tarmac off of the road and flung great chunks of it into the shops and bars behind. Eddying waters did further destruction, eroding large sections of the waterfront and causing further property damage and loss of life. Many of the bungalow operations and hotels in this area will not be fit for tourists for several months. Some may never re-open as they are just not there anymore. Fifteen of the bungalows nearest the waterline at the Chedi Phuket resort were damaged, management believe they will be able to re-open these to guests in about two months. Rydges Beach Resort had water damage to between 10 and 15 of its rooms closest to the beach that will require a week’s work to repair. SURIN BEACH Surin Beach is back to business as usual. Two days after the wave hit, the detritus on the beach had been neatly swept into large piles and the quaint rows of wooden bars, restaurants and food vendors were open to a busy stream of tourists. The new Twinpalms resort nearest the beach received no damage whatsoever and is operating at full capacity. While flooding destroyed the Amanpuri’s gym, and beach and tour counters, the rest of the resort is operating normally and the lives of guests’ safe thanks to the work of quick-witted employees. KAMALA BEACH Kamala Bay Terrace Resort, Kamala Beach Resort and Kamala Dreams resort are all closed until further notice; however Kamala Bay Garden Resort received no damage and is still open. Kamala received the heaviest and most widespread damage of any of Phuket’s beaches. Much of what was there isn’t anymore and the central beach area – once filled with happy bars, restaurants and shops – is today barely recognizable. Only the police station stands relatively undamaged at the centre of a crushed community. The waters destroyed virtually everything as far back as the main coast road, with flooding reported in the Phuket Fantasea compound. The roads closest to the beach are still closed to traffic and crews are working hard to restore basic amenities. Many people died at Kamala, and accurate figures are not yet available. Thai locals and some tourists, seeing the tide go out over three hundred metres very quickly, ran onto the beach with buckets to collect the fish that were flopping around on the sand. Though the wave did not come for over fifteen minutes, many were caught out on the sand when it did and were lost. KALIM BEACH While none of the major Kalim hotels have reported damage, except Residence Kalim Bay which suffered some water damage but is otherwise open, two major real estate offices and the local school, which sits across the beachfront coast road, were hit hard by the wave. There is also some damage to the road itself, but – as of Thursday – this was under repair. PATONG BEACH Most of Patong beach road was open to traffic by Saturday, except where damage was heaviest around the Impiana Phuket Cabana. Khun Wallee of Cabana reported that damage was so widespread at her absolute beachfront resort that it will not re-open until October ’05. Two guests were killed but no staff lost. Khun Wallee claimed that this was due to the alertness of the Massage ladies on the beach who spotted what was about to happen and warned guests and staff just in time. Incredibly, directly opposite Cabana on the other side of the beach road, Thara Patong Beach Resort is advertising “Good Condition Rooms Available”. An employee stated that no rooms were damaged during the deluge and only the restaurants at the front of the resort are out of action. Clean-up crews are working hard to bring back some semblance of normalcy to the beach road, however there is not a single business along this stretch that has not been very badly damaged. It will be several months before all the scars have healed. The premises of major chain stores and name businesses that are now just shells – among the many others – include McDonalds, Starbucks, Watsons, KFC, Molly Malones and countless restaurants, jewellery stores and tailor’s shops. Other hotels along Patong beach road caught by the wave include Seaview Patong, reporting 100 percent damage, Horizon Beach Resort, Patong Resort, Patong Merlin, Patong Beach Hotel, Amari Coral Beach and several others all closed until further notice. However the Hyton Leelavadee and Duangjitt Resort, both set back just a few hundred metres from the beach road, and the Royal Paradise while all receiving modest water damage are operating normally. Many, many others have received no damage at all and continue to run at full capacity By 150 metres up the famous Soi Bangla things are getting pretty much back to normal. Even the well-known Kangaroo Bar and the bars on either side have re-opened. By the end of Soi Bangla and onto Rat-U-Thit Road, all the major nightclubs and restaurants are still open and busy. Standing at the Bangla Junction at midnight, just three days after the wave, you would not even know that anything had happened. Music booms, lights flash and the party is very much still hot. On New Year’s Eve a special service of remembrance was held at this junction with many tourists, expats and Thais gathering to pay their respects Merlin Beach Resort, on the road to Tri Trang Beach, just south of Patong, received extensive damage to its front, despite being set back a good 400 metres from the beach. The resort is closed until further notice. The small restaurant, just off that beach and popular with many expats, is gone. Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort – on the small bay between Patong and Karon – has been evacuated and closed. The hotel is reporting damage to its pool and beachfront restaurants. Staff confided that the biggest problem was with electricity and water supplies. Guests have been transferred to the Sheraton Laguna Phuket, Hilton Arcadia at Karon and Royal Meridian Phuket Yacht Club at Naiharn – all of which are coastal properties but received only minor water damage and are operating normally. Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort is expected to re-open in February. KARON BEACH All of the big hotels here are set well back from the beach and on fairly high ground, including the Hilton Arcadia. The Hilton’s Zen restaurant is closed due to water damage but the resort is otherwise operating normally. Karon Princess Hotel, Karona Resort and Spa, Karon Sea Sand Resort, Karon View Resort, and Karon Whale Resort Phuket and Kaorn Bay View are all undamaged as are the many smaller guest houses in the area. At the north corner of the Karon Beach Road, and perhaps the resort closest to the beach, Phuket Golden Sand Inn had fifty bungalows damaged by the flooding. Problems with electricity supply were cited as the chief reason for the hotel’s closure, but staff claimed it would be open again within a week. Phuket Island View, another resort close to the beach road also received some damage. Twenty bungalows are without aircon and the pool is closed but the resort was otherwise running normally. The layout of Karon saved it from receiving anywhere near the level of property damage other beaches suffered, though some shops and bars along the beach road – including the small local market – received nominal damage, as the wave crested the wide swathe of grass between the beach and the road. However, as of Thursday most were under repair and the market was back in action. There was serious flooding at the stadium at the south end of Karon. On the hill between Kata and Karon Marina Phuket was high enough up that it received no damage except to its Karon waterfront On the rock restaurant. Karon Beach Resort – on that same hill but with more exposure – received damage to its lower floor rooms and is closed until February, staff reported. KATA BEACH At the south end, the famous beachfront hotel Mom Tri’s Boathouse was badly damaged, but only on the ground floor. Rooms on the second and third floors were untouched. The entire ground floor restaurant and lobby was washed away. Owner and architect Mom Tri Devakul, who was touring the scene of the damage on Thursday reported the hotel rooms will be open again before the weekend and that he will take this opportunity to remodel the restaurant. “It was due for a renovation anyway,” he said with a wan smile. There was significant damage to the restaurants and bars south and north end of Kata Beach. Club Med – which dominates the central stretch of the beach road – was inundated at one end but untouched at the other. For safety the hotel was evacuated. We have not yet been able to contact anyone from the hotel to confirm when it will be ready to re-open. Kata Beach Resort, also beachfront, received only nominal damage to some of its ground floor rooms and the pool was flooded out. The bars and restaurants at the back of the Kata Beach Resort, behind the Boathouse and at Kata Corner received no damage and were serving customers on the night of the wave. Some of the small shanty bars and shops behind Club Med were damaged but were getting back to normal as of Saturday. The Kata Thani Hotel and Resort on Kata Noi Beach received some damage to its ground floor and swimming pool, but is otherwise fully operational. Guests in the ground floor rooms have been transferred to the hotel’s sister property the undamaged Katathani Bhuri, just across the Kata Noi beach road. The small beach front restaurants and some of the beach road shop were damaged by the wave but, as of Friday, were all being cleaned up and rebuilt. NAIHARN BEACH AND ENVIRONS At the southern tip of the island, Naiharn Beach was also hit hard by the wave, covering it in a thick layer of detritus. The bamboo restaurants at the back of the beach were all open and busy with guests at lunch time on Saturday. The same cannot be said, alas, for the restaurants at the entrance to the Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club, as they no longer exist. However, the Royal Meridien itself received only very minor damage and is still fully operational. Sabana resort, just beyond the destroyed restaurants, received damage to its office buildings and parking lot, but the main hotel building was not affected. Clean up of the beach was completed by Friday, but large piles of foliage and broken beach equipment still sat along the back of the beach on Saturday waiting to be cleared away. Despite earlier reports, the bungalow resorts along Ao Sein Beach, just beyond Royal Meridien, received very little damage. Only three bungalows closest to the beach were damaged and the beachfront restaurant was totally destroyed. As of Saturday, however, rebuilding work on the restaurant was well advanced, with staff and guests all chipping in to help with the work. Two guest bungalow resorts and private homes at Yanui Beach, the tiny inlet at the other end of Naiharn, have been completely destroyed. The damage to Yanui stretches several hundred metres inland. RAWAI BEACH There was moderate but extensive damage along the sea wall at Rawai and several boats were destroyed, but the beach road remained open throughout. The well-known Nikita’s Bar was also damaged, but was back open for business two days after the wave. The Sea-Gypsy village did not fare as well with significant damage and loss of life. By Saturday many of the homes had been rebuilt there and fishermen were busy repairing nets and boats. The Evason has announced that it is still fully operational, though the hotel’s jetty was washed away. CHALONG AND AO YON BEACHES A heavy wash ran up the lower east coast of Phuket, Chalong Bay, making a bit of a mess of the beach and leaving large chunks of boat propped up along the beach wall, but only a few light injuries. There was water damage to a couple of the beach front bungalow resorts, including Friendship Beach, but this has since been cleaned up and the restaurant is operating on an almost complete menu as of Friday. Chef Charlie says everything will be back on in the next few days. Guests were returning to there rooms just three days after the flooding. Vichit Bungalows is also back to full service. Passing across Chalong Bay, the wave did destroy a very old, rickety and dangerous jetty used by the longtail boats, but left the new concrete Chalong Pier intact. The famous Jimmy’s Lighthouse restaurant at the pier received no damage and was open for business that evening. The wave went on to hit Ao Yon hard, but caused only moderate property damage, mainly to the premises of CoralSeekers, which bases its tour and yachting operations from there. The clean up there was well underway the day after the wave hit. PHUKET CITY The island’s business and administrative centre received no damage whatsoever. The city’s fishing port was not so lucky. A huge swell roared up the channel past Rattanachai boatyard, dragging dozens of large and small fishing boats off their moorings and thrusting them into a tangled mass against the bridge to Sirey Island. The Sea Gypsy village on Sirey was also hit hard, with many homes destroyed. One lady from the village reported that, fortunately – and surprisingly, considering the damage – there were no dead or missing, only a few injuries. BEACH CLEAN-UP AND REBUILDING AROUND THE ISLAND As of Thursday, Royal Thai Army engineers from Ratchaburi, staff from many hotels and villagers from both seafront and inland communities had completed total clean ups of many of Phuket’s beaches, including Kata, Karon and Naiharn. Others are expected to be finished before the weekend is out. Most of the hotels and resorts that were caught by the wave are reporting very minor damage – averaging between 15 and 20 rooms each. Of the several hundred hotels and guest houses that the island has to offer, only a dozen or so have been completely closed down and most have received no damage whatsoever. All that we were able to contact claim that full service will be returned in just a couple of weeks. It should also be noted that damage caused by the tsunami on Phuket has directly affected less than ten percent of the island. http://www.phuket-photos.com/framem...-tidal-wave.htm Elsewhere along the coast, the story is not so good. Rescue workers in Khao Lak, north of Phuket, and returning from the popular island destination of Phi Phi, to the south, speak of unparalleled destruction and loss of life. It will be many months, indeed years, before these places recover. The weight of human loss and loss of livelihoods that it has wrought, and that which is still yet to come to light, is of course immeasurable. To all those people affected, we send out our most heartfelt condolences. We know you are many and we hope that we can be as strong as you and stand beside you in the months to come. It is the Thai people who, in what would be considered overwhelming circumstances for many westerners, are quietly, stoically, cleaning up and beginning the rebuilding work on Phuket. It is a scene repeated up and down the coast. There are no scenes of wailing desperation, so beloved of CNN and BBC, despite the enormous tasks that face them. Where foreign tourists have fled the “terror”, the Thai people are still here. Despite their losses – and that’s not just a few suitcases of clothes – there are no mercy flights to whisk them away. They will be here throughout all that is to come. The Thai people of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga are the heroes here, for it is they who have lost the most and they will be the ones who take on the task of rebuilding the Pearl of the Andaman. Reporting by Kerrie Hall, Simon J Hand, Scott Murray and Hayley Windsor 2005-01-02. Diver's report, underwater in the Maldives when the Tsunami hit. It
was one of the strangest experiences in my life - diving
while the tsunami passed overhead. The weather was absolutely
beautiful as usual, but the sea was very rough and the decision
was made not to tie down on the thila, like we usually do.
Another lucky decision - because the sea is usually calm,
the crew ties the rope as tightly I had 4 experienced divers with me and we did a negative entry to avoid the top conditions. The visibility was not the best, about 20 metres. The currents were strong and I decided to stay close to the wall. We were about 25 minutes into the dive, when everything changed. I was at about 20 m when I had to equalise like crazy, but I was staying at the same spot!! The depth had suddenly changed, the visibility went down to about 2 metres and we had a massive surge motion. I didn't know what had caused it, all I could think of was that it was on or near full moon and that it may be a freak high tide. When the currents changed again and were throwing us around like a like a washing machine, I really got worried. Even
the fish were behaving totally erratic, the sharks came
so close I could reach out and touch them. That’s
when I decided to cut the dive short, at about
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Maldives not hit as hard by Tsunami as other regions. The Maldives were affected by the tsunami but not to such a degree as Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia.
The website www.maldivian.com has details on which islands are affected. As does the www.visitmaldives.com website. Close to 70 people were still missing in the beach paradise on Monday as search operations continued into the night, and officials said they feared the death toll could rise dramatically. The Maldives, whose white sand beaches and world class scuba diving are a magnet for honeymooners and well-heeled tourists from around the globe, declared a state of emergency on Sunday after tsunami waves deluged the remote island cluster and flooded two-thirds of the capital Male. "Over fifty people are dead, about 70 people are still missing and thousands have been left homeless," President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom told the BBC's World Service. "Communications with most of the country have now been restored, but still some islands are without telecommunications," he added. "We have a lot of difficulties at the moment because our resources are quite limited, so sending help to islands have been a problem." Gayoom has spent much of his 26 years in power warning of the dangers that global warming, erosion and shifting weather patterns pose to low-lying island nations like his own. The chain of 1,200 tiny palm-fringed coral islands dotted across 500 miles off the toe of India lies just a few feet above sea level. The country's international airport was closed down on Sunday as tsunami waves wreaked havoc but was reopened after water levels receded. Male, which is 1.25 miles long and half a mile wide and home to 75,000 people, is bursting at the seams. The island capital's streets of white-washed houses are very cramped and areas of communal open space sparse for residents -- so much so that the government is building a brand new island from scratch as an overflow. Most of the Maldives' 300,000 mostly Sunni Muslim people are involved in the tourist industry, the nation's economic backbone. The Maldives' 200 inhabited islands are home on average to just a few hundred people or house luxury tourist resorts which offer some of South Asia's most expensive holiday accommodation. "Four resorts have been badly affected... we have moved about 300 tourists from badly affected resorts," Chief Government Spokesman Ahmed Shaheed said. Elsewhere in Asia, the death toll topped 22,000 on Monday in the aftermath of the tsunami that slammed into coasts from India to Indonesia. The tsunami came just days ahead of December 31 parliamentary elections in the Maldives. It was not immediately clear if the elections would be delayed. At least 73 Maldivans were killed in the region, many of them swept out to sea from villages or small fishing vessels. Officials and resort operators said the Maldives' peculiar geography -- the archipelago's 1,190 tiny islands average about a three feet (one meter) in height, making it by some calculations the world's lowest-lying country -- may also have ensured that damage was less serious than it was on the coasts of Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.
Although the Maldives's low height meant the tsunami moved completely across many islands, it also ensured the wave didn't rise and break as it hit land. Instead, most the Maldives felt the wave as a dramatic but relatively harmless swell of water. "We've wondered for years what would happen if a tsunami came to the Maldives," Firag said. "Now we know -- the energy and height don't build when the wave contacts the islands, so it gets dissipated through the chain." Not islands were as lucky as some. For example the White Sands resort is currently closed and was quite badly affected. This is the account from Beat Baier the instructor who runs the White Sands dive centre. The "wave" hit us in the morning the 26th December, coming from the outside reef through the whole island. In fact it was more like kind of a big swell or surge, but extremely powerful. The island village got badly damaged, all bungalows, dive centre, restaurants and the bar have been under water and lot's of equipment got lost. Most Beach cottages have big damages but the staff area was hit the worst. Most of our staff lost everything they had in their rooms. The water village was hardly untouched, some of the bungalows got some water, but no major damages on the houses as such. However, the water supply and the electricity was badly damaged on the whole island and all guests and staff stayed in the main restaurant to spent the night. The next day all the guests could be evacuated back to Male and finally back home. We stayed for another two days on White Sands to clean up a bit and to move all of the dive centre equipment to Male on our dive boats "Aris" and "Fehurihi". The compressors needs to be fixed, they have all been in the water. The rest of the equipment which was not destroyed or lost, has to be stored safe and dry. How it will continue on White Sands is difficult to say. But believe me, we are working on it as hard as we can because over night, lot's of local people (boat crew, compressor boys) got out of job and their future is unclear. Dhigurah, our neighbor island got hit as well, luckily not as bad and nobody got seriously injured. Most of our staff is from Dhigurah and it has to be in our intention to help this guys to get back in business as soon as possible - this is the only thing we can do from here for the Maldives and for our local friends. Some of the local islands got completely wiped away and all the local people had to be evacuated. Compared to other regions and countries, we have been extremely lucky out here in the Maldives and we slowly start to realize that watching the news on TV every day now in Male. In the beginning we had no information about what exactly happened. White Sands water bungalow village is likely to re-open soon. See the http://www.eurodivers.com website for information.
Maldives scuba tours operating as normal. Maldives Scuba Tours, MV Sea Queen and MV Sea Spirit are operating as normal and all our trips are running as planned. Due to the deep water right up to the Islands' shore lines they did not suffer a huge destructive breaking wave in the Maldives. They did experience a rise in Sea level and much smaller wave which damaged local islands and some 23 resort islands on the east side of the atolls. The remaining 64 resorts are operating as normal. The diving remains excellent and unaffected. Guests who traveled out on 3 Jan to join MV Sea Queen saw a whale shark, manta rays and a pod of dolphins on their first dive! Incredible Maldives!
Whale shark in the Maldives
Dive operator club of Thailand, Phuket branch press statement. The Dive Operators Club of Thailand, Phuket Branch (DOCT), would like to express our condolences to the victims, and families and friends of victims, who suffered so terribly on 26th December 2004. We have all received so many calls and e-mails of support from our former guests and friends who have visited and gone diving with us over the past years. We thank you. Most of us could not imagine this type of situation before December 26th, and are uncertain as to how to make an appropriate statement. We hope that you will continue to support Thailand’s diving community as most of the diving centres were operationally unaffected by the tsunamis. Perhaps the most appropriate statement is simply about the quality of scuba diving. Diving operations, both in terms of live-aboard boats, day trips and courses, remain unaffected and unchanged. Dive sites along the coast, including the Similan Islands, Ko Bon, Ko Tachai, Surin and Richelieu Rock, and into the Mergui Archipelago are not damaged in any significant way. Some sites were affected slightly, others not at all. There is absolutely no truth to rumours of heavy devastation, and loss of marine life. We have had divers out diving since the waves and surge hit, and although there are some changes to dive sites, mostly around Island No 9 in the Similans, all of the areas still offer world-class diving. The dive sites in the Mergui Archipelago were completely unaffected by the waves or surges. We encourage you to continue diving and not cancel your live-aboard or other diving plans, out of Phuket. In this way you can support the local economy so that the people, (especially Thai locals), in southern Thailand will not face another tragedy, this time economic, in 2005 and beyond. Please visit our websites for more detailed information. The website ‘www.phuketgazette.com’ has a very comprehensive list of help centres, donation centres and many contact numbers for those who wish to offer their services or make donations. Kingfisher marine who operate out of Phuket have also said that the damage although significant is not as bad as the media are portraying in Thailand. They were lucky and lost no instructors or boats so dive operations are still continuing. Click here to view their website. Kingfisher have also dived the Andaman islands this week and have reported that the coral and fish life have not been affected. They said that the Nicobar islands further south bore the brunt of the tsunami. Seychelles also not badly affected. David Rowat reports, "We have luckily escaped the worst impacts of the tidal waves here in Seychelles. Our mini-bus went for a salt water swim but seems to have grown sea-legs and to have survived reasonably well! We will have to see what the damage is to the boats in the morning. we had one anchored for safety in Victoria harbour which ended up being the one most at risk. We have had successive flooding and then massive drops in sea-level with changes of 4 - 6 metres within minutes but there have been no big waves as such.... when the first 'pulse' hit us I was running one of the boats and had divers under water when the water in Bay Ternay Marine Park drained out leaving the reef 2 metres high and dry and several small boats that had been at anchor were stranded on it. Within 2 minutes the reef covered over again and luckily the divers had the good sense to surface so we could pick up everyone and get them back to base. There have been a few deaths in Seychelles. As far as I can tell this was only on the island of La Digue where several children were swept off the beaches and drowned before boats could be launched. There has been a fair amount of damage, mostly on the East coast areas: one of the main road bridges on the new motorway has been swept away, several vehicles parked in car parks went for a swim and I suspect that there will be a fair amount of damage in the port which was under 60cms of water in the container park. Most of the damage will be flood damage rather than storm wave damage as in Sri Lanka but I think we have been luc ky." Also zerovisibility can report that the airport here was closed for some hours when the wave hit. Debris and fish were all over the runway and took some time to clear.
A Scottish scuba diver caught up in the Asian tsunami disaster during a dive off a Thai island last night told how he saved his Swedish diving instructor from drowning as the force of the huge waves pounded on the surf above them. Alasdair Stewart also revealed that, as he fought for his life out at sea, his wife, Gillian, had her own narrow escape as a wave crashed through the foyer of their hotel. Mr Stewart, 55, from Dollar, Clackmannanshire, who was recovering in a hotel at the Thai resort of Pattaya yesterday, was exploring a reef half a kilometre off Phi Phi island in south-west Thailand when the tsunami struck on Boxing Day. Despite the pressure from the huge waves above his head, Mr Stewart said he remained totally calm and even kept his diving instructor from panicking as the tsunami, which reached speeds of up to 500mph, swept them 90ft under water in only a few seconds. He said: "We were anchored off the south of the island and exploring coral half a kilometre away from rocks when the wave struck and a strong current swept us along, forcing us 30 metres under in a matter of seconds. The current was strong and my instructor was terrified and screaming for help, but I kept my nerve and managed to remain calm and kept in constant visual contact with her until the wave passed." Mr Stewart, an optician, said his immediate thought was to get to shore to check the safety of his wife, also an optician, whom he knew was spending the morning on the beach. "I knew my wife had planned to go to the beach that morning and all I could do was pray that she changed her mind and was safe," he said. "As it turned out, she was in our hotel room and managed to grab the passports and our money before escaping on to the roof, but I didn’t know this. "We both searched for each other with no joy and, as we were both opticians, ended up using our medical training to help out victims at separate, makeshift medical centres, with neither knowing if the other had survived." He added: "It was not until the day after the wave hit Phi Phi island did we find one another. We just broke down. What we went through will never leave us and we still burst into tears when we think about how kind everyone has been."
How will marine life be affected after the Tsunami? Human suffering is obviously foremost on most minds now, but researchers are just beginning to assess damage to marine life, including mangroves and coral reef communities, which are vital to fishing industries and tourism. The United Nations has assigned $1 million to fund a task force to survey environmental damage. If past studies from other events, such as hurricanes, are any indication, experts say the impact on marine life could be vast and lasting. "I think there is going to be significant impact," said Tom Hourigan, a coral reef expert with the National Marine Fisheries Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. "Even hurricanes can have an impact on marine life, and the scale of this is much greater." Coral reef communities may have been torn up in chunks in some areas and suffocated by piles of mud and debris in others. Nurseries for young fish and turtles in mangroves and marshland may have been wiped out, possibly jeopardizing future fishing crops for decades to come. And while most large marine animals likely escaped to deeper waters as the towering waves struck, debris such as fishing gear and sharp, rusting metal poses future risks for the animals. "There are many different components to how the tsunami may have damaged marine life," said Rusty Brainard, a fisheries expert with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Honolulu. Among the most vulnerable and vital marine life affected are coral reefs. These intricate communities are made up of limestone, built by colonies of coral polyps and algae. The structures support more species per unit than any other marine environment, including endless species of fish, sea horses, sea turtles and sponges. They are vital for local fishing communities that catch fish living around them, as well as for a tourism industry that features the reefs to attract snorkelers and divers. The reefs were already stressed in many parts of South Asia and Thailand by warmer waters stemming from the El Niño weather event in 1998. Now researchers shudder to imagine what further damage the tsunamis have wrought. "As the tidal waves came in, they brought a lot of force and probably broke a lot of the corals. Then as they went out again, they probably dragged a lot of debris back in and along the coral reefs," said Hourigan. Indeed, initial reports to Marcos Noordeloos of the WorldFish Center, based in Penang, Malaysia, said some reefs off the coast of Thailand were "in bad shape," and, according to one report, "destroyed." So far, reports suggest the damage is inconsistent, said Noordeloos, with some reefs escaping damage and others showing minor and major damage. "It will be a while — months, at least — before we get a picture of the damage to coral reefs," he said. Another likely possibility is some coral reefs are now suffocating under mounds of silt, sand and other debris. Coral reef communities depend on clear water for survival and the debris-laden waters around South Asia could lead to their slow demise. The shallow environments of mangroves and sea grass are also likely to have been damaged. Brainard explains these areas are partially enclosed bodies of water around the coastline that often host the most delicate forms of marine life, such as young fish. "The nursery habitats for fish stocks and young fishes were probably wiped out," he said. "That could mean the next couple years could have low fish levels, which could lead to lower fish levels for the next couple decades." Larger marine animals may have been less vulnerable to the destruction. Greg Bossart, a marine mammal expert at Harbor Branch Oceanic Institution in Fort Pierce, Fla., says if these larger marine animals were in deep waters, they likely escaped immediate trouble. "As long as they were in deep enough waters, I would bet most dove out of the way of the tsunami," he said. "Animals are more sensitive to things like this than ourselves. They can sense pressure changes from the waves." At least one humpback dolphin and her calf off the coast of Thailand weren't so fortunate. They were tossed into a small lagoon and remained trapped there for 10 days. Local fishermen and soldiers came to the rescue Wednesday afternoon after two previous attempts failed. Bossart says the dolphins were likely swimming in shallow waters when they were caught up by the waves, but he thinks most dolphins were likely able to dive from trouble Fishing gear cast from storm-struck fishing boats can take years to deteriorate. Once underwater these nets snarl species such as dolphins and endangered leatherback turtles. |
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