© Ben Cort

Cephalopods reach out to capture this unfortunate vessel. More surreal images from Ben Cort’s “Dreams” series are included in the PDNedu Student Photo Contest 2011 online gallery.

Photo © 2006 Pongsatorn Sukhum.

Diver Oramas Pinijchob swims alongside the wreck of the Royal Thai Navy ship HTMS Kut (731), formerly the USS LSM 333, during an inspection dive on September 30, 2006.

USS LSM 333 was commissioned on November, 25 1944 and served in World War II, patrolling the waters off Okinawa after the invasion, and participating in the occupation landings at Northern Honshu and Hokkaido. After the war, the Siamese (Thai) Purchasing Commission negotiated with the United States and British governments to obtain war surplus material. The ship was commissioned into the Royal Thai Navy in 1947. The ship was used during the Korean and Vietnam wars, then was used as a training ship for many years until it was decommissioned in 2004. It was sunk on September 17, 2006 as an artificial reef.

Sukhum is a shipwreck researcher and underwater photographer based in Thailand.