Departing from Ranong Bodin Pier, MV Smiling Seahorse embarked on an unforgettable dive safari into the stunning Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. After clearing Thai immigration, our enthusiastic guests from France’s Galathée Group joined us as we proceeded to Kawthoung for entry formalities into Myanmar. Once completed, we set course northwest to begin our adventure in this remote and pristine marine paradise.
Our Playground This Week!
The Mergui Archipelago is a secluded paradise, boasting over 800 islands with dramatic limestone cliffs, mangroves, white sandy beaches, and vibrant coral reefs. Home to an incredible diversity of marine life, from macro critters to pelagic giants, it remains one of the last frontiers for divers seeking untouched underwater landscapes and thrilling encounters with oceanic mantas, reef sharks, and rare fish species.
Day 1: Exploring the First Dive Sites
Check Dive at High Rock
Our adventure began with a check dive at High Rock, where we were immediately welcomed by schools of yellowtail barracuda and yellowback fusiliers. Among the reef, we spotted moray eels, nudibranchs, and a beautiful thornback boxfish, also known as the cowfish. The highlight of the dive was an elusive tiger tail seahorse and a well-camouflaged stonefish lurking among the corals.
Dive 2 at Bawe (Rainbow Rock)
A spectacular site showcasing an array of colourful soft corals in shades of yellow, blue, pink, white, and red. Marine life was abundant, with Durban dancing shrimps, a baby yellow boxfish, giant moray eels, crabs, and scorpionfish in both juvenile and adult stages. Among the highlights were Chromodoris annulata, a ring angelfish, a yellow-edged moray eel, a school of circular batfish, and the fascinating blue dragon nudibranch.
Dive 3 at South Twin
This site offered a mesmerising blend of macro life and schooling fish. Notable sightings included banded stick pipefish, Chromodoris annulata, blue dragon nudibranchs, and a large school of epaulette surgeonfish. We also encountered a Maldivian sponge snail and an impressive array of reef fish, including peacock grouper, common lionfish, and twinstripe fusiliers.
Night Dive
As darkness fell, we encountered fascinating nocturnal creatures, including cleaning partner shrimps, scorpionfish, octopuses, decorated crabs, giant moray eels, blue and white flatworms, and more blue dragons.
Day 2: A Day of Manta Encounters at Black Rock
Black Rock delivered one of the most thrilling experiences of the trip, with at least three different oceanic manta rays gracing us with their presence. Schools of rainbow runners, yellowtail barracuda, pickhandle barracuda, and bigeye trevally swirled around us. We also spotted striped bristletooth surgeonfish, juvenile yellow band fusiliers, and several macro treasures such as red and white clown frogfish, a giant white frogfish, and an orange frogfish. A great barracuda receiving a spa treatment from cleaner wrasses was another highlight. Additional reef fish seen included bicolor cleaner wrasse, blue and gold fusiliers, and six-striped soapfish.
Day 3: Diving Three Islets & Village Visit
Square Rock
Featuring tigertail seahorses, orange-spotted pipefish, Chromodoris nudibranchs, a school of yellowtail barracuda, purple flabellina, and a magnificent marble ray.
Shark Cave
This site amazed us with its massive school of juvenile blue and gold fusiliers, Chromodoris annulata, a baby tiger tail seahorse, and an impressive array of reef fish, including blacktip grouper and oriental sweetlips.
Submarine
Encounters included a bamboo shark sleeping among the rocks, a stonefish, trevallies, rainbow runners, wahoo, a massive school of yellow snappers, and porcelain crabs.
Village Visit – Khun Pi Law
During snack time, we visited Khun Pi Law, a picturesque village with a white sandy beach and a beautiful Buddha temple, offering a glimpse into the local culture before heading back for our night dive.
Night Dive at Shark Cave
Decorated crabs, white-eye moray eels, Durban dancing shrimps, baby slipper lobsters, basket star shrimps, blue and white flatworms, blue dragons, and tiny tigertail seahorses, including a very small baby one, made this dive truly magical.
Day 4 & 5: Manta Encounters & Spectacular Reefs
Diving at Sea Fan Forest, Western Rocky, and Eagle’s Rock brought us a quick but breathtaking visit from a massive oceanic manta, harlequin shrimps, McCosker’s dwarf wrasse, cuttlefish mating, and large schools of fusiliers.
Highlights at The Cave, The Islets, and Eagle’s Rock included schools of yellow-lined fusiliers, moray eels, crabs, yellowtail barracuda, five-line snapper, twinstripe fusiliers, Chromodoris annulata with its eggs, Maldivian sponge snails, and fimbriate moray eels.
Day five’s blackwater dive was a thrilling experience featuring larval octopuses, pelagic seahorses, mantis shrimps, flounders, veliger pelagic snails, triggerfish, squids, lizardfish, and krill. The night ended with a fantastic BBQ, celebrating the trip with our amazing French group.
Day 6: Final Dive at Dendro’s Peak
Our final dive site, Dendro’s Peak, provided a fitting end to an extraordinary journey. We encountered Jenkins rays, schools of fusiliers, bigeye trevally, rabbitfish, and an incredible variety of reef fish, including yellowfin goatfish, halfmoon grouper, and mimic sabretooth blennies.
Conclusion
The Mergui Archipelago never ceases to amaze with its diverse marine life, stunning reefs, and pelagic action. With oceanic mantas, frogfish, seahorses, and a vast array of macro critters, this trip was truly unforgettable. We can’t wait to return for another adventure in these incredible waters!
