Exploring the Mergui Archipelago: Another Day of Diving in Burma
Exploring the Mergui Archipelago
24 November. There were seven people onboard as we continued exploring the dive sites of Myanmar. We visited three different sites during the day, with three daytime dives followed by a night dive.
After a long time without diving, the first dive of the day was a good opportunity to get back into the water with a relaxed check dive. It did not take long before the underwater world reminded us why diving in the Mergui Archipelago is so special.
Among the first highlights was an ugly-faced frogfish, perfectly hidden in a white sponge. These masters of camouflage can be surprisingly difficult to spot, even when they are right in front of you.
We also encountered a sea snake during the dive, adding another memorable sighting to our first exploration of the day.
Tunnels, Caves and Nurse Sharks
The second dive took us into a fascinating series of tunnels and caves. The entrance was around 17 metres deep, and from there we crossed through the island, exploring the underwater passages and the marine life living around them.
Soft corals covered parts of the walls, surrounded by plenty of fish. The combination of the tunnels, caves, colourful corals and marine life made this a particularly interesting site to explore.
The third dive site was one we had only discovered a few trips earlier. We continued exploring its cave system and found a massive nurse shark sleeping peacefully on the bottom of one of the caves.
It was another reminder that diving in this part of Myanmar is not simply about visiting well-known sites. There is still a real sense of exploration, with new areas and underwater passages revealing themselves from one trip to the next.
A Night Dive Among Soft Corals
For the night dive, we headed outside the cave system. The soft corals were particularly beautiful after dark, with purple and red colours standing out against the darkness.
We were lucky enough to see three Spanish dancers during the night dive. These large nudibranchs are always impressive to encounter, particularly when they begin moving through the water after dark.
Another Day of Diving in Burma
25 November. We continued our diving expeditions in Myanmar, and during the night we cruised towards our next dive site.
The waters were teeming with life. It was absolutely fantastic: cuttlefish, shrimps of all kinds, angelfish, lionfish, nudibranchs and, once again, excellent visibility.
The corals were in very good shape, both hard and soft. They provided the perfect shelter for all the underwater animals, while also creating fantastic subjects for underwater photography.
