Chris Cruz, a scuba diving instructor and trip leader was out at sea, just off of Khao Lak, north of Phuket in Thailand, with diving crews when the tsunami hit.

Wit Aniwat is a mahout at his family's elephant-riding center near Phuket, Thailand. He describes the elephants' behavior prior to the tsunami.

Journey with Meg Ryan to the jungles of Thailand in search of the white elephant, a rare creature coveted by royalty -- and threatened by extinction.

For more than 5,000 years, the Asian elephant has been an important part of Asian society, tamed but never domesticated. View photos of Thailand's elephants.

On the streets of Bangkok and other large cities in Thailand, unemployed and homeless Asian elephants are becoming a common -- and controversial -- sight.