Elders' Knowledge of the Oceans Spares Thai 'sea Gypsies' From Tsunami Disaster

The Associated Press ^ | Dec 31, 2004 | Anon

[Pharmboy]

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Knowledge of the ocean and its currents passed down from generation to generation of a group of Thai fishermen known as the Morgan sea gypsies saved an entire village from the Asian tsunami, a newspaper said Saturday. By the time killer waves crashed over southern Thailand last Sunday the entire 181 population of their fishing village had fled to a temple in the mountains of South Surin Island, English language Thai daily The Nation reported.

"The elders told us that if the water recedes fast it will reappear in the same quantity in which it disappeared," 65-year-old village chief Sarmao Kathalay told the paper.

So while in some places along the southern coast, Thais headed to the beach when the sea drained out of beaches - the first sign of the impending tsunami - to pick up fish left flapping on the sand, the gypsies headed for the hills.

Few people in Thailand have a closer relationship with the sea than the Morgan sea gypsies, who spend each monsoon season on their boats plying the waters of the Andaman Sea from India to Indonesia and back to Thailand.

Between April and December, they live in shelters on the shore surviving by catching shrimp and spear fishing. At boat launching festivals each May, they ask the sea for forgiveness.

AP-ES-12-31-04 2245EST

[Pharmboy]

Listen to your elders, kids, it could save your life.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[NorCalRepub]

maybe these guys should be running the U.N.....they sure have more common sense

[mtbopfuyn]

The elders told us that if the water recedes fast it will reappear in the same quantity in which it disappeared

That's a big duh and I have no knowlege of the ocean. I thought the first time someone being interviewed about the water receding that that was a huge indication that something was sucking it out and it would come back 10 fold and you'd better get outta there quick. I still can't understand why the native born, of all people, wandered out into the waters.

[GSlob]

maybe these guys should be running the U.N.....they sure have more common sense
Nah... imagine Annan explaining re Oil for Food program that the elders told him that "if the money disappears fast it will reappear in the same quantity in which it disappeared"

[Bobibutu]

Curiosity

[Bobibutu]

You are educated - they are not.

[blam]

Qualifies for a:

GGG Ping. (anthropology)

Hey Jim, how are you doing over there?

[NorCalRepub]

bingo....or reappear in his back account in the same quantity

[A. Pole]

Nah... imagine Annan explaining re Oil for Food program that the elders told him that "if the money disappears fast it will reappear in the same quantity in which it disappeared"

Or freetraders saying "if the JOBS disappear fast they will reappear in the same quantity in which they disappeared"!

[GSlob]

Unless the activity in which the jobs were involved gets abandoned, the disappeared jobs WILL indeed reappear (someone will have to do it), but not necessarily in either their former number (quantity) or the same location.

[dalereed]

In 64 I knew to get my but down to the harbor (L.A) and run the boat out to sea when I got word of the Alaska quake.

The boat slips with their boats that the owners didn't have the sense to get them out got wasted.

Luckily Long Beach Marina was almost finished and I was able to get a slip there when it subsided, mine in L.A. was no longer in existence.

[arasina]

Interesting. The Morgan Sea Gypsies would make a nice name for a lounge band.

[Falcon4.0]

When there's no water in the bay, start to run the other way!

[Calpernia]

I thought you would appreciate this story.

Ping and happy new years!

[Ditter]

Why didn't the sea gypsies share this knowledge? They could have saved a lot of lives.

[MissAmericanPie]

I was hit by a surge wave during a small hurricane, called hurricane Juan. I was far from the edge of the water sun bathing when someone screamed just in time for me to raise up on my elbows and look left.

That surge wave hit me like a hammer and rolled me down the beach like a dead flounder and that was just a tiny surge wave. I can't imagine the power that was behind the wave that hit those unfortunate people, it had to have been like getting hit by a cement wall.

[blam]

"In 64 I knew to get my but down to the harbor (L.A) and run the boat out to sea when I got word of the Alaska quake."

Smart move mate.

[Southack]

"Why didn't the sea gypsies share this knowledge? They could have saved a lot of lives."

The sea gypsies, local governments, the UN...none of them cared enough to put up beach signs with a picture of receding water preceding a big wave.

...But at least the sea gypsies warned those around them when they saw it, unlike those local governments and the UN.

[Ditter]

I had a similar experience on a beach in Hawaii. Someone here called it a rogue wave. I was standing about 6 feet from the waters edge and the water sucked back and up about 10 feet and before I could get away it came crashing down. I was in water almost to my waist and fighting to get to safety.