Willem is welding the Thai wai hands for the CoralGarden

The reward couldn’t be any greater

Last year summer, I was on Koh Tao in Thailand to help Frank and Veran from CoralGardening constructing 2 giant steel hands, which would eventually be placed on the seabed of Hin Wong Bay in the CoralGarden.

Brainstormen hoe we de handen gaan creëren.
Brainstorming how to create the hands

This year in July I went back to finish the project.
Constructing the giant steel hands wasn’t always easy. Working with very limited resources, in temperatures well above 30 degrees and mother nature who made welding impossible with heavy rain.

Lassen in de open lucht
Welding at our open air workspace
De handen zijn modulair gebouwd.
The hands are build modularly.

Photo’s Carla August

But when we, with the help of many people, finally had the hands in place on the bottom and during my safety stop with Frank back to the surface, I looking down to see those giant hands standing in the CoralGarden, the reward couldn’t be any greater!

De handen worden onder water in elkaar gezet
The hands are put together under water

Photo Lee Jellyman