Exploring the Andaman Islands: A Special Diving Trip from Thailand to India
We had the great honour of welcoming some friends last week: Yvette, Martine, Anjanee, Salome, Remy, Jean-Yves, Jean-Christophe, Cyrille, Raphael and Tung, for a very special 2020 exploration trip in the Andaman Islands.
Huge barrel sponges everywhere
More than 48 hours of navigation to the Andaman Islands
After clearing immigration in Ranong at 9am, we were ready to start our journey. More than 48 hours of navigation lay ahead of us before reaching Port Blair in India!
We had a bit of wind and waves on the way, but everyone was happy to watch the Indian islands getting closer and closer. It was a long crossing, but arriving in a completely new area made the journey worthwhile. This was not going to be our usual Mergui Archipelago adventure: we were heading much further west to explore a different part of the Andaman Sea.
Exploring the reefs of the Andaman Islands
Parrotfish on the reef
Healthy coral reefs in clear Andaman Sea water
Our first Indian bubbles at Havelock
After completing the immigration, customs and port clearance process with the Indian officers, we were finally ready to navigate to Havelock and make our first Indian bubbles!
And what a surprise it was.
Huge barrel sponges were everywhere, huge groupers were swimming around, and there were loads of fish in amazingly clear water with more than 30 metres of visibility. The underwater scenery was already very different from what we were used to around the Mergui Archipelago, and everyone was excited to discover what the next dives would bring.
A surprising school of fish
Wonderful coral formations
A guitarfish on the reef
The guitarfish was another particularly interesting encounter. These unusual rays are always a memorable sight underwater, and having such a variety of subjects made these first dives especially exciting for the photographers in the group.
Heading north for new dive sites
We continued north along the coast for more dives, and every site had its own special highlight. Some dives brought us a school of around 20 mobulas, while at another site we encountered dozens of humphead parrotfish.
We also saw some whitetip reef sharks swimming lazily, a huge school of barracudas and pinnacles covered with big sea fans. Every dive was different, and all of them were very interesting compared with our regular spots around the Mergui Archipelago.
Manta ray
The variety of rays of the Andaman Sea was one of the highlights of the trip, with mobulas, torpedo rays, huge marbled rays, bluespotted stingrays and manta rays all making an appearance during our exploration.
Narcondam Island: a truly remote part of the Andaman Archipelago
After a few days, we moved on to Narcondam Island, one of the most remote islands in the north-eastern part of the Andaman Archipelago.
Narcondam is a volcanic island, with endemic hornbills and different other types of birds living in the trees. A small group of Indian rangers was staying there to protect this hidden gem, and during the three days we spent there, we did not see another boat.
Narcondam Island
Being able to spend several days in such a remote place gave the trip a real sense of exploration. Above the water, the volcanic island and its birdlife made it feel far removed from the busy dive destinations we normally visit. Underwater, however, there was just as much to keep us busy.
Sharks, rays and a psychedelic surprise
Underwater, we had a blast with many big schools of fish. As a bonus, we saw many sharks, including silvertip and whitetip reef sharks.
There were also plenty of rays: torpedo rays, huge marbled rays and bluespotted stingrays. Even a couple of manta rays made a quick appearance for us!
But one of our highlights was something considerably smaller: the psychedelic batwing slug. It looks like a nudibranch, but it is actually a rare headshield slug, and this one was enjoying the dark sand around the island.
Psychedelic batwing slug
It was exactly the kind of unexpected little discovery that makes an exploration trip so special. Alongside the sharks, rays, big schools of fish and large reef scenes, this tiny and unusual creature gave the photographers another very different subject to look for.
The journey back
On the way back, the sea was calmer — the usual very flat sea that we are used to in this season — and it was a smooth and easy ride for everyone.
After more than 48 hours of navigation on the way out, it was certainly nice to have calmer conditions for the return journey. This special expedition had taken us far beyond our usual diving grounds and given the group the chance to explore a part of the Andaman Islands that was very different from our regular Mergui Archipelago trips.
We are considering doing another special trip again next season, here or maybe somewhere completely different to explore another part of this fascinating region…
If you want to join us, get in touch for more details.
Thanks to all who made this trip possible, and see you soon!
