At least 4 Mantas sightings this week and so much more!
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
A spectacular site showcasing an array of colorful 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.
This site offered a mesmerizing 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
Day 3: Diving Three Islets & Village Visit
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
Highlights at The Cave, The Islets, and Eagle’s Rock included schools of yellow-lined fusiliers, moray eels, crabs, yellowtail barracuda, five-line snapper, twin stripe 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 Pea
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!