Thai Dyed: Ships That Pass in the Night

When we moved into our condo on the Gulf of Thailand, we expected the continuous, mesmerizing roar of the waves, the kind that would lull us to sleep at night. But the waves are scarcely noticed, only occasionally being heard above the hum of the air conditioner. Perhaps the big ocean waves loose their enthusiasm by the time they wander into the cozy corner of Pattaya Bay. I remember having dinner with Ted in California, and the roar of the ocean was so savage, we thought it must have been thunder.

Last night, we had a tremendous storm with high winds and driving rain. Today the clouds hang an impenetrable steely gray, the winds have once again picked up, and the docile Gulf of Thailand is at last showing some enthusiasm. The waves are relentless, pounding and spilling over the stone piers, making the surface a frothy white. It feels an undeserved privilege to be able to witness the moods of the sea.

We often wonder about what kind of wildlife exists below the surface. I have had little success trying to determine the answer. A recent news story gave us a tiny glimpse; a rare whale shark was spotted in Pattaya Bay last week. Approximately twenty-three feet long, it swam around a tourist boat for about three minutes, then disappeared. It was once common, but this is only the third sighting so close to Pattaya in the last six years. My neighbor, a grade school teacher, said some of her students told her about the sighting. She was a bit concerned, as her husband is regularly out on the water with his little catamaran. But although the whale shark is reportedly the biggest of fish, it is not a danger to humans, eating only krill, plankton and the like. Still, pretty exciting to imagine such a giant lurking somewhere out there.

Although we can only wonder about what swims below the water, what we can see are the many different watercraft that are outside our windows everyday. Unlike the lakes at home, that sport mostly recreational craft, the gulf is a workplace for many here. In addition to the jet skis and speed boats, a myriad of other vessels grace these waters.