Hi James,
 
I am really sorry to hear that other divers are so irresponsible and 
destructive about marine life, although I'm not that experienced yet I 
always remember what I was tought in my Scuba diving class, I try to 
constantly watch how close to the coral I'm getting not only to avoid 
scrapes and damage to coral but also not to get to close to 
scorpionfish and eels although I worry less about the eels than the 
scorpionfish, when I was snorkling at Haunamah Bay in Hawaii I went 
past the 1st and second reef when I was watching a turtle and started 
getting cold(just had my bakini on, no dive skin) so I was trying to 
get over the coral so I was tripoding on my fingertips and waiting for 
the wave to push me over the coral otherwise I was fighting the surf 
then as I was waiting on the last reef I looked down and there was a 
spotted eel looking back at me, But I was not going to invade his space 
and so he never harmed me with the next wave I was over the reef and 
back to the main beach area. But I was really disappointed in the coral 
off Hawaii-it's dead and very damaged.
 
 
JG>  MR> As for the subject of scrapes---Thailand????? Wow, must be beau
JG>  MR> but primitive in some ways.  
JG> It is beautiful, except for spots where overpopulation or ecological
JG> disaster or over-touristing has stripped the land/undersea environme
JG> When I was first there in 1982 it was relatively untouched.  Since t
JG> they have prostituted every possible aspect they can.  But that's no
JG> any different than anywhere else in the world (just look at parts of
JG> CA, FL ...)  Sigh.
 
You've been to Thailand many a time hmmm, I take it you must be in the 
military or work for an airline? My brother is a pilot for Delta 
Airlines and had about 12 years Air Force before that-his name is Jim
same last name(Ryan) Jim moved to Alabama about a year ago But it is 
funny his never traveled to another country.  As for Thailand I can 
believe that the waters have been stripped, I'm not too thrilled about 
how some countries feel about Marine life, But then again our own 
Country has been really bad about that, we're better than we were in 
the past But I really hate the fact that some people hold human life 
more valuable than animal life, when we are in this world together.  
It's funny because I wanted to help people more than anything at one 
time But after 10 years of Emergency Dispatching in E.M.S. I've seen 
more people be just as destructive to themselves and to other people 
especially in California(Notice "COPS" is usually in California, some 
part of it). I was born here but I'm not very proud of it anymore, I'm 
also burnout from so many years of dispatching.  Now I am an operator 
for a Medical clinic and I am amazed how ungrateful people are.  Sorry 
I'm getting off subject-But that is why I really want to work with 
animal life but especially Marine life-so I'm debating between 
Veterinarian or Marine Biologist since I plan to go back to school.  As 
for the pups and helping out with them, volunteers are always welcome.
 
As for travel, I've always wanted to travel but it's never happened in 
the past but I think I will change that for the future.  And I'd still 
love to hear more about Thailand or other dive sites including Truk, 
But I do know that Truk is a specialty dive and requires additional 
training I just haven't had the money for it since I quit dispatching I 
only make a fraction of what I made before as a matter of fact I 
haven't had the money to go to Saucalito, CA because the money I'd use 
for gas I have been using to try to fix my truck.  So I have been 
missing out on the seals and sea lions-adult seal and seal lions aren't 
very friendly unless they have been trained in captivity. But I'd 
definately like to get back to the MMC by November at the latest 
because that is when the training for Sea Otters starts-The Marine 
Mammal Center is going to be taking over the care of Otters.  
 
Thanks for writing back again-Where are you sending from? 704 area code 
where is that? 
 
Thanks, Marianne
 
marianne.ryan@cyber.gigo.com
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