Trip report: 30th April 2024, nice encounters in Mergui Archipelago

Day 1: was an amazing day of diving! Our check dive at High Rock and our Second at Dragon Island were both filled with wonderful underwater encounters. We were delighted to come across a big school of fusiliers, a ghost pipefish, and some stunning nudibranches. We decided to go and explore South Twin for the 3rd dive and the night dive, which turned out to be a brilliant choice. The water there was crystal clear, allowing us to marvel of a Trevally gliding through the blue, playful batfish, elusive octopus, fascinating mantis shrimp, and even tiny pygmy squid during the night dive.

High rock - dive site in Mergui Archipelago Myanmar — High rock

South Twin dive site - Myanmar — South Twin dive site – Myanmar

An impressive scorpion fish myanmar diving — Scorpion fish

Lobster at South Twin Pinnacle, Mergui Archipelago — Lobster at South Twin Pinnacle, Mergui

Day 2: brought us to the Shark Cave area for four more dives, a paradise for macro photography enthusiasts. We were thrilled to discover Seahorses nestled in beautiful seafans, delicate pipefish peeking out from cracks, intricate decorated crabs showcasing their vibrant colors, as well as elegant cuttlefish, ever-changing octopus, and graceful stingrays resting on the sandy bottom. The sight of a large school of yellow trevallies, batfish, snappers, and fusiliers manoeuvring gracefully in the blue waters added an extra touch of magic to our underwater adventures.

Myanmar Tigertail seahorse — Tigertail seahorse

Days 3 and 4: brought us to the breathtaking Burma Banks after a peaceful 10-hour westward cruise. The diving experience in this area was nothing short of extraordinary, as we found ourselves immersed in warm, crystal-clear waters with visibility exceeding 40 meters. As we explored the vast underwater landscape, we were mesmerized by the sight of giant sandy mountains rising from the depths and adorned with vibrant coral bommies, teeming with a diverse array of marine life.

One of the highlights of our dives was encountering the serene and magnificent nurse sharks, a sight that left us in awe. We were fortunate to witness numerous Nurse sharks during our time exploring this underwater paradise. Additionally, the waters were alive with large schools of surgeonfish, majestic Napoleons, formidable giant trevallies, sleek snappers, and the most impressive school of fusiliers one could imagine. It was a truly unforgettable experience for everyone on board.

The Burma banks are surrounded by very deep water with no reef westward before the indian Andaman islands which make them such a perfect spot to meet pelagic critters on our Blackwater dives! The highligh of the week was certainly meeting this rare cuskeel. This photo shows it fromt he front and the first photo of the article shows it side. What a wonderful specimen!!!
But this cool fish was not alone in the water, we got some very productive blackwater dives with plenty of photogenic crustaceans, fish larvaes, sea angels and even a coral polyp larva. Did you know these were having a pelagic life before settling down to create the reefs as we know them?!

Sea angel blackwater dive mergui — sea angel

Rare Cusk eel Myanmar blackwater — Rare Cusk eel

Zoanthella Larval coral polyp — Larval coral polyp – Zoanthella

Days 5 and 6: saw us returning to the mesmerizing Mergui Archipelago, this time diving in the Western Rocky area. Our first stop was the Seafan Forest, a site adorned with towering pinnacles draped in magnificent giant seafans. Here, we were treated to the sight of schools of snappers, big-eyed Trevally, and fusiliers gracefully swimming among the colorful marine life. Amidst this underwater jungle of seafans, we were delighted to spot a Seahorse, adding to the enchanting experience.

Our exploration then led us to The Cave of Western Rocky, where we encountered the usual array of beautiful nudibranches, shrimps, and crabs. However, the true highlight was the unexpected appearance of a massive Marble Ray at the far end of the cave, leaving us in awe of nature’s wonders. A beautiful clown Frogfish was also waiting for us on the other side of the cave close to a pair of Harlequin shrimps!

Further dives around Eagle Rock and The Islets revealed the underwater splendor of the archipelago, with remarkable visibility allowing us to marvel at schools of yellow fin barracuda and trevallies cruising through the pristine waters. It was a truly unforgettable experience, with each dive unveiling a new and exciting facet of this incredible marine world.

Diving Myanmar at Western Rocky — Western Rocky never disappoint

Did you know? The Blue dragon only need to eat for the first few months of its life before they become self reliant!

On our final day of diving, Day 7, we savored the opportunity to explore the depths of Dendro’s Peak, a deep pinnacle nearby teeming with marine life. Here, we were fortunate to encounter elusive ghost pipefish, elegant stingrays gliding effortlessly through the water, and schools of majestic big-eyed Trevallies. Each sighting added to the magic of the underwater world, leaving us in awe of its wonders.

Our last dive took us to the breathtaking lagoon of Volcano Island, where we embarked on a unique diving experience. Beginning with a tranquil descent into the shallow waters, we eventually surfaced within the confines of the island itself. Here, surrounded by the untouched beauty of nature, we were enveloped in a sense of serenity and harmony, punctuated only by the melodic sounds of native birdlife. It was a fitting conclusion to our underwater journey, offering a perfect blend of adventure and tranquility to carry with us as cherished memories.