Exploring the Burma Banks and Mergui Archipelago: Six Days of Incredible Diving
Departing from Ranong Bodin Pier, our journey to the Burma Banks began with the usual immigration formalities in Thailand before heading to Kawthaung, Burma. Once the official paperwork was complete, we set course for the remote and breathtaking Mergui Archipelago and the Burma Banks.
With guests from Thailand, Burma, France, Denmark, Switzerland, the USA, Italy, Panama and Belgium, we embarked on another unforgettable adventure aboard the MV Smiling Seahorse, eager to uncover the wonders of this legendary dive destination.
The Burma Banks are an isolated offshore reef system consisting of vast submerged plateaus and seamounts that rise abruptly from the deep ocean floor. Unlike the nearshore reefs of the Mergui Archipelago, which are fringed with islands, the Burma Banks lie far out in the Andaman Sea, approximately 180 km west of the Burmese coast. The area is renowned for its thrilling drift dives, expansive sandy plateaus and vibrant coral outcrops, making it one of the most exhilarating dive destinations in the region.
Due to their remote location, the Burma Banks see very few divers, creating a pristine and unspoiled underwater environment. The region’s deep waters also contribute to exceptional visibility, often exceeding 30 metres, providing breathtaking panoramic views of the underwater landscape.
Divers can explore vast coral bommies teeming with reef sharks, stingrays and schools of jackfish, while the sandy seabed hosts garden eels and hidden stingrays. Occasionally, lucky divers may even spot oceanic manta rays gliding gracefully in the blue.
Day 1: High Rock and Three Islets, aka Shark Cave, Square & Submarine
Our first check dive at High Rock set the tone for the trip, with sightings of cowfish, schools of yellowtail barracuda, yellowback fusiliers, moray eels, cuttlefish, bigeye trevally and an impressive African pompano. A wahoo streaked past, hinting at the pelagic action we hoped to see in the coming days.
The second dive at Square Rocks treated us to three tiger tail seahorses, a well-camouflaged orange-spotted pipefish and a watchful hawkfish perched on a coral outcrop. Giant trevally lurked in the cracks, their silver bodies reflecting our dive lights.
Our third dive at Shark Cave delivered more spectacular sightings, including a graceful marble ray, vibrant Flabellina exoptata nudibranchs, Chromodoris risbecia pulchella and playful cuttlefish. The cave’s entrance teemed with dancing Durban shrimp, creating a mesmerising display.
In the afternoon, we went to explore a local fisherman village before the afternoon dives.
We finished the day with a night dive at Shark Cave and Square Rock, where nocturnal creatures took centre stage. Divers spotted more tiger tail seahorses, an array of Durban shrimp, crabs, boxing banded shrimp and the curious sealface pufferfish sleeping among the rocks. A baby black-spotted boxfish, a tiny slipper lobster, hermit crabs and a stunning Persian carpet flatworm rounded off the night’s highlights.
Day 2: North Twin Pinnacle & North Twin Reef
The first two dives at North Twin Pinnacle presented us with a thrilling mix of marine life: octopuses changing colours, a powerful school of giant trevally hunting in the blue and an elegant eagle ray gliding past. Tuna and wahoo cruised through the deep, while giant moray eels watched from their dens. Macro enthusiasts delighted in Chromodoris annulata, baby Chromodoris risbecia tryoni and ornate partner shrimp. A swirling school of barracuda made for breathtaking photos.
In the afternoon, we explored North Twin Reef, where we encountered Gymnodoris rubropapulosa nudibranchs, more blue and white dragon nudibranchs and a baby many-banded pipefish. Two separate groups had close encounters with small hawksbill turtles, while dogtooth tuna and schools of blacktip fusiliers darted through the currents.
Day 3: Row Bank, Coral Bank and Silvertip Bank
Our first two dives at Row Bank featured an impressive hawksbill turtle, a well-fed nurse shark resting under a ledge and a passing Napoleon wrasse. An octopus provided an entertaining show, and jobfish patrolled the reef. We also spotted a rare three-dot angelfish, known as the “lipstick fish”, and a stunning honeycomb moray eel.
Our third dive at Coral Bank introduced us to more nurse sharks, a massive great barracuda and a coral crab protecting its orange eggs. The reef was alive with Napoleon wrasse, blue-spotted stingrays and curious schools of bannerfish.
The final dive of the day at Silvertip Bank was a highlight. We encountered a Napoleon wrasse, a majestic marble ray and a silvertip shark patrolling its territory. The grand finale? A tornado of bigeye trevally swirling above us in mesmerising formation.
Day 4: Rainbow Bank and Silvertip Bank
Two morning dives at Rainbow Bank continued our streak of stunning marine life encounters, with nurse sharks, bigeye trevally tornadoes and more octopuses. The coral formations here were breathtaking, offering incredible opportunities for wide-angle photography.
Returning to Silvertip Bank for the afternoon dives, we observed a graceful hawksbill turtle, more marble rays and an unforgettable sighting of three massive requiem sharks. A few lucky divers even spotted a male oceanic manta ray passing by to say hello, a rare find in these waters. We were thrilled to add one manta sighting to Marine Mega Fauna Foundation’s F.E.Z. sightings in the Banks!
Our final dive of the day was a mesmerising blackwater dive. Among the deep-sea drifters, we found a large remora, a rare sea elephant, pencil squid, a juvenile Sharp Enope squid and larval forms of mantis shrimp, moray eels and anemones. A tiny larval tripod fish and a delicate pearl fish larva stole the show.
Day 5: Fan Forest, Western Rocky & Eagle’s Nest
Back in the Mergui Archipelago, we started the day with two dives at Seafan Forest. As the name suggests, massive sea fans dominated the landscape, home to smiling seahorses hidden among the branches and grumpy stonefish doing what stonefish do best: pretending to be rock.
Ghost Net Removal: Our Ocean Heroes in Action
During our first dive on this fantastic forest of seafans, we discovered a massive ghost net tangled in the coral. Recognising the threat it posed to marine life, our dedicated team of dive pros sprang into action. Over the next hour, they carefully detached the net from the reef, ensuring minimal impact on the fragile corals.
By removing this ghost net, we saved countless marine creatures from a senseless death. Ghost nets continue to trap and kill marine life — fish, crabs, morays and even sharks — that will never be eaten or used, making them a tragic waste. Beyond their impact on marine life, discarded fishing gear is one of the largest sources of plastic pollution in our oceans and contributes to coral reef destruction. This effort was a small but important step in protecting this beautiful dive site and preserving the underwater ecosystem for future divers.
We were lucky to have onboard seven awesome friends — Julien, Camille, Sofi, Tom, Thanda, Tim and Rich — who are also skilled dive professionals, including Thanda Ko Gyi, the founder of Myanmar’s first ocean conservation organisation, Myanmar Ocean Project, and Tim & Rich from Thai Ocean Academy. With their expertise and manpower, we were able to make a real impact, ensuring that this stunning dive site remains a haven for marine life.
A big thank you to you all!!!
There were a lot of schools around the pinnacle: yellowback fusiliers, emperors and trevally darted in all directions. Nudibranchs of various species, including Chromodoris, decorated the reef, while cuttlefish displayed their remarkable camouflage abilities.
Our third dive at Western Rocky brought us face-to-face with pharaoh cuttlefish, a striking Flabellina exoptata and a stunning marble ray resting under an overhang.
At Eagle’s Nest, our fourth dive delivered an incredible encounter with three tiger tail seahorses and more pharaoh cuttlefish.
Day 6: The Grand Finale at Dendro’s Pinnacle
For our last dive, we headed to Dendro’s Pinnacle, a vibrant reef teeming with life. A magnificent marble ray glided past, pharaoh cuttlefish hovered in the currents, and schools of blue-spotted fusiliers flashed their electric hues as they moved in perfect synchrony.
With the final dive complete, we returned to Kawthaung for immigration clearance, celebrating with a few well-earned Burmese beers before setting course for Ranong and the last leg of the immigration process.
A Snapshot of This Fantastic Trip Behind the Mask of Our Friend: Sophie
Another unforgettable journey exploring the wonders of the Mergui Archipelago and the Burma Banks had come to an end.
With breathtaking encounters, incredible photographic moments and the camaraderie of fellow divers, this trip aboard the MV Smiling Seahorse will surely be etched in our memories forever.
Until next time, happy bubbles and safe diving!
