Update Phuket Thailand and Ocean Rover Cruises

Fantasea Divers - Ocean Rover Cruises was not affected by the earthquake
off-shore Sumatra and the subsequent tidal waves in Phuket. Ocean Rover is
currently in Myanmar's Mergui Archipelago and did not experience any large
waves. All passengers and crew are fine. The captain is proceeding very
cautiously and will remain in Burmese waters for most of the cruise. Crew
are on a constant lookout. So far they have only experienced calm weather
and beautiful diving. In fact, conditions in the Mergui Archipelago are so
nice that, without modern-day communication, the people on board Ocean
Rover would not have known about the disaster.



Phuket was struck relatively hard, but due to the better infrastructure here
than in other places, damage could have been far worse than it turned out to
be. The people who were killed or injured were on the beach or close to
shore at the time the wave hit, as there was little or no warning. As far as
we know, there have been no accidents at sea involving divers. Most of the
dive boats have reported that they are safe. However, a group of day-divers
from Pi-Pi Islands died while diving in the popular Emerald Cave. This
particular divesite is not part of Ocean Rover's itinerary.



The three tidal waves that hit Phuket were caused by the shifting of plates
which caused the initial 9.0 force earthquake. Subsequent aftershocks,
although powerful in their own right, have not caused further waves. Our
heart goes out to the many families who have lost loved ones. Phuket's
island community, Thai and expatriate, is working hard to help the wounded
and the bereaved.



The repeated images you see on TV are horrifying but please understand that
most of Phuket island is unaffected. The island's infrastructure is largely
intact but the telephone system is overtaxed due to the many calls from
concerned people overseas. Therefore, please do not try to phone us unless
there is no other option. You will have to dial may times but eventually
you will get through.



Many of the resorts and hotels in and around Phuket have been able to clean
up most of the mess and are accepting guests. Our next scheduled cruise is
to the Andaman Islands, which was badly hit by shocks and waves. At the
moment we are unable to communicate with the island's authorities. Ocean
Rover is part of the Andaman Sea Rally fleet during this cruise and the race
organizers have informed us they plan to go ahead with the event. They wish
to show support for the Andaman Islands and proof that marine tourism in the
Andaman Sea region has the ability bounce back quickly from the disaster.
Ocean Rover will carry relief supplies to the islands as well. If you are
a booked passenger on this cruise please contact our Reservations Department
at info@ocean-rover.com.