Trip Report: Mergui Archipelago & Burma Banks, 3rd–11th February 2026

Some expeditions meet expectations. Others quietly reset them…
Our latest journey into Myanmar’s far north delivered exactly what these waters are famous for: a beautiful balance between pelagic encounters and intricate macro life. From oceanic mantas and nurse sharks to flamboyant nudibranchs and rare frogfish, this voyage reminded us why the Mergui Archipelago and the Burma Banks remain some of the most rewarding dive destinations in Southeast Asia.

​With immigration formalities completed in both Thailand and Kawthung, we welcomed our Dive Buddy guests from Israel aboard the Smiling Seahorse and pointed the bow north. Gradually, the busy coastline gave way to scattered islands draped in dense jungle, hinting at the wild underwater world awaiting us.

​South Twin Reef provided a gentle but vibrant reintroduction to the water. The reef was alive with colour: Chromodoris annulata, Halgerda tessellata, Flabellina rubrolineata, Risbeccia pulchella, Phidiana sp., and dotted the granite boulders like confetti.
Macro life was already hinting at what was to come — a richness that would only intensify as the expedition progressed.

​Peacock mantis shrimps guarded their burrows while Durban dancing shrimps waved from ledges. Schools of lined surgeonfish and ringtail surgeonfish crossed paths with neon and yellowback fusiliers, while dogtooth tuna patrolled the deeper blue. Giant moray eels observed quietly from their lairs, and cuttlefish drifted over coral bommies. A juvenile scribbled filefish was even spotted feeding on a jellyfish, while egg cowries displayed their striking mantles.

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The macro parade continued with Macropharyngodon flasher wrasses darting across the reef.
At North Twin Reef and Bay, more treasures appeared: Halgerda tessellata, orange-tip Flabellina, and schools of five-lined snappers weaving through hard coral formations. Blue-tooth triggerfish, black-lined surgeonfish and pufferfish added movement, while spotted worm sea cucumbers and schooling squids completed the scenery.

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The night dive brought theatre. Octopus hunted across the reef, squids flashed past our lights, and jellyfish sheltered tiny fish. Parrotfish and triggerfish slept wedged securely into the rock, their trigger spine locked to prevent predators from pulling them free. Marble shrimps, spider decorator crabs, Elysia marginata, desirable Flabellina and Flabellina exoptata were everywhere, while a fimbriated moray eel slipped silently through the darkness. A spearing mantis shrimp was seen actively hunting, and pygmy squid hovered near the sand.

​Black Rock once again proved why it is considered one of Myanmar’s signature dive sites.
Currents carried vast schools of blacktip, bluefin, golden and bigeye trevallies alongside rainbow runners and longnose emperors. Barracudas formed shimmering walls in the blue, while eagle rays cruised past and coral, peacock groupers hovered above the reef.

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Macro lovers were equally rewarded: Bornella anguilla, Hypselodoris carnea, Cuthona Sibogae and a rare red frogfish, bearded scorpionfish, trumpetfish, rabbitfish and multiple cowries including tiger, money and mole cowries decorated the slopes.

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Cleaner shrimps and peacock-tail anemone shrimps worked tirelessly at their stations.
The sunset dive turned unforgettable when two oceanic manta rays appeared, circling gracefully over the pinnacle.

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Meanwhile, blackwater divers discovered larval seahorses, eel larvae, larval lizardfish, pyrosomes and delicate jellyfish drifting in the darkness, along with larval coral fragments suspended like tiny constellations.

​Shark Cave and the surrounding reefs proved to be outstanding territory for macro enthusiasts. Nudibranch diversity was exceptional, featuring Goniobranchus annulata, Goniobranchus geometrica, Goniobranchus conchyliatus, Thorunna horologia, Hypselodoris maculosa, Glossodoris cincta, Favorinus mirabilis, Phestilla melanobranchia, Dermatobranchus fortunatus, Bornella anguilla, and several Coryphellina species including Coryphellina exoptata.

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Our divers were also able to encounter bamboo shark hiding in the boulders, tigertail seahorses, tapestry shrimp, schools of neon and yellow back fusiliers, banded snake eel hunting,

​The night dive revealed zebra moray eels, massive hermit crabs, sea urchin crabs, Moridilla brocki, broadclub cuttlefish,hunting pygmy squid and hunting bamboo shark.

​Rainbow Bank delivered exactly what divers hope for here: nurse sharks resting beneath bommies, marble rays cruising by and mangrove whip rays lifting from the sand. Powder-blue and lined surgeonfish mingled with oriental sweetlips and two-spot butterflyfish, while coral and peacock groupers guarded the reef.

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Anthias clouds brought colour to the slopes, including scalefin anthias, flame anthias and redbar anthias darting above yellow saddle goatfish. Cleaner wrasses and sixline wrasses hovered around cleaning stations, joined by silverstreak anthias shimmering in the current.

​At Coral Bank, action intensified with large schools of giant trevallies and jacks, black-and-white giant snappers, five-lined snappers and chevron barracudas. One lucky group even witnessed two nurse sharks mating, a rare and powerful encounter.
Blackwater divers later enjoyed larval flounders, mantis shrimp larvae, drifting salps, translucent jellies and tiny crab larvae.

​More giant trevallies cruised above Coral Bank while neon and yellowback fusiliers blanketed the reef. Silvertip sharks appeared alongside resting nurse sharks, creating classic Banks scenery.

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At Silvertip Bank, a rare trio of oceanic triggerfish surprised everyone, accompanied by a passing Napoleon wrasse, filamented blennies and fire gobies. Blue-ringed angelfish, regal angelfish, Indian mimic surgeonfish, bird wrasses and bullethead parrotfish rounded out the reef community.
Blackwater once again delivered magic with larval barracudas, flying fish larvae, shimmering Venus girdles, pelagic thecosomes, shrimp larvae and ribbon-like Tomopteris worms.

​Sea Fan Forest felt like drifting through an underwater cathedral, where giant purple sea fans framed the reef and currents carried constant movement through the water column. Schools of yellowback and neon fusiliers streamed above the slope while golden trevallies patrolled the blue. Pickhandle barracudas hovered in loose formation and passing mackerel injected sudden bursts of speed into the scene.
On the reef itself, the resident stonefishes, blue-ringed angelfish, Chelidonura hirundinina, regal angelfish, anemone crabs and oriental sweetlips moved between coral outcrops as bird wrasses and powder-blue surgeonfish grazed along the hard coral ridges.

​Macro highlights included Glossodoris cincta, Goniobranchus geometrica, Phyllodesmium poindimiei, and Pteraeolidia semperi, alongside mating broadclub cuttlefish — a reminder that even on the most dynamic reefs, extraordinary small life thrives.

Few sites in the Mergui Archipelago rival Western Rocky when conditions, marine life, and curiosity align:
The Cave revealed Goniobranchus geminus, , Halgerda tessellata, Halgerda willeyi, multiple drifting blue dragons, a striking Phyllidia species, and several Unidentia. Around them, swirling fusiliers drew in hunting giant trevallies while lionfish hovered beneath overhangs and titan triggerfish cruised the perimeter.Beyond the Cave, the Islets offered a different atmosphere altogether. Clouds of neon and yellowback fusiliers cascaded over the reef while scissortail fusiliers shimmered in the current. Bluefin trevallies swept through the schools with effortless precision, occasionally scattering them into flashing silver ribbons and maldivian sponge snails gliding on the reef.
Sharp-eyed divers continued their macro hunt, discovering several well-hidden nudibranchs, Thorunna australis, among the rubble as lionfish hovered motionless near the rocks and porcupinefish cruised calmly through the shallows.
At Eagle’s Rock, the dive delivered one of the most memorable sightings of the day, a beautifully camouflaged clown frogfish perched quietly on the reef, perfectly still yet impossible to ignore once spotted. Nearby, Spanish mackerel sliced through the water column while triggerfish patrolled the rocky edges, adding to the sense of constant movement.

Our final morning unfolded inside the sheltered amphitheatre of Shark Lagoon, a dramatic horseshoe-shaped formation carved by ancient geological forces rather than volcanic activity. Hard coral gardens climbed the slopes while sponges and soft corals painted the rock in vivid colours.
A shy blacktip reef shark cruised through the lagoon as a pregnant tiger-tail seahorse clung gently to the reef. Spirit mantis shrimps guarded their burrows while Clark’s anemonefish defended their homes. Blue-ringed angelfish, threadfin butterflyfish and a curious coral grouper completed the scene alongside boxer shrimps and a watchful fimbriated moray.
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Soon after surfacing, we began our return to Kawthung for immigration, shared a final drink at the Smile Bar, and sailed back to Ranong — closing yet another expedition filled with both grand pelagic encounters and exquisite macro discoveries aboard the Smiling Seahorse.
To everyone who joined us on this journey — thank you, and we look forward to diving together again soon.
Out here, every expedition writes its own story.