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Blog about diving in Burma and Thailand

Trip report: 30th April 2024, nice encounters in Mergui Archipelago

21/5/2024

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​Day 1: was an amazing day of diving! Our check dive at High Rock and our Second at Dragon Island were both filled with wonderful underwater encounters. We were delighted to come across a big school of fusiliers, a ghost pipefish, and some stunning nudibranches. We decided to go and explore South Twin for the 3rd dive and the night dive, which turned out to be a brilliant choice. The water there was crystal clear, allowing us to marvel of a Trevally gliding through the blue, playful batfish, elusive octopus, fascinating mantis shrimp, and even tiny pygmy squid during the night dive.
High rock - dive site in Mergui Archipelago Myanmar
High rock
Grouper under table coral Andaman Sea liveaboarc
South Twin dive site - Myanmar
South Twin dive site - Myanmar
An impressive scorpion fish myanmar diving
Scorpion fish
dragon island myanmar dive site
Lobster at South Twin Pinnacle, Mergui Archipelago
Lobster at South Twin Pinnacle, Mergui
​Day 2: brought us to the Shark Cave area for four more dives, a paradise for macro photography enthusiasts. We were thrilled to discover Seahorses nestled in beautiful seafans, delicate pipefish peeking out from cracks, intricate decorated crabs showcasing their vibrant colors, as well as elegant cuttlefish, ever-changing octopus, and graceful stingrays resting on the sandy bottom. The sight of a large school of yellow trevallies, batfish, snappers, and fusiliers manoeuvring gracefully in the blue waters added an extra touch of magic to our underwater adventures.
Myanmar Tigertail seahorse
Tigertail seahorse
Shiny trevallies
Shiny trevallies
village in mergui archipelago
blotch spotted marble sting ray
coral reef in myanmar
Days 3 and 4: brought us to the breathtaking Burma Banks after a peaceful 10-hour westward cruise. The diving experience in this area was nothing short of extraordinary, as we found ourselves immersed in warm, crystal-clear waters with visibility exceeding 40 meters. As we explored the vast underwater landscape, we were mesmerized by the sight of giant sandy mountains rising from the depths and adorned with vibrant coral bommies, teeming with a diverse array of marine life.
​

One of the highlights of our dives was encountering the serene and magnificent nurse sharks, a sight that left us in awe. We were fortunate to witness numerous Nurse sharks during our time exploring this underwater paradise. Additionally, the waters were alive with large schools of surgeonfish, majestic Napoleons, formidable giant trevallies, sleek snappers, and the most impressive school of fusiliers one could imagine. It was a truly unforgettable experience for everyone on board.
A friendly nurse Shark
A friendly nurse Shark
large school of fish wide angle photography andaman sea
ray in a school of fusilier
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The Burma banks are surrounded by very deep water with no reef westward before the indian Andaman islands which make them such a perfect spot to meet pelagic critters on our Blackwater dives! The highligh of the week was certainly meeting this rare cuskeel. This photo shows it fromt he front and the first photo of the article shows it side. What a wonderful specimen!!!
But this cool fish was not alone in the water, we got some very productive blackwater dives with plenty of photogenic crustaceans, fish larvaes, sea angels and even a coral polyp larva. Did you know these were having a pelagic life before settling down to create the reefs as we know them?!
Sea angel blackwater dive mergui
sea angel
Rare Cusk eel Myanmar blackwater
Rare Cusk eel
blackwater baby crab
shrimp on blackwater dive
blackwater shinny fish
Zoanthella Larval coral polyp
Larval coral polyp - Zoanthella
​​Days 5 and 6: saw us returning to the mesmerizing Mergui Archipelago, this time diving in the Western Rocky area. Our first stop was the Seafan Forest, a site adorned with towering pinnacles draped in magnificent giant seafans. Here, we were treated to the sight of schools of snappers, big-eyed Trevally, and fusiliers gracefully swimming among the colorful marine life. Amidst this underwater jungle of seafans, we were delighted to spot a Seahorse, adding to the enchanting experience.

Our exploration then led us to The Cave of Western Rocky, where we encountered the usual array of beautiful nudibranches, shrimps, and crabs. However, the true highlight was the unexpected appearance of a massive Marble Ray at the far end of the cave, leaving us in awe of nature's wonders. A beautiful clown Frogfish was also waiting for us on the other side of the cave close to a pair of Harlequin shrimps!

Further dives around Eagle Rock and The Islets revealed the underwater splendor of the archipelago, with remarkable visibility allowing us to marvel at schools of yellow fin barracuda and trevallies cruising through the pristine waters. It was a truly unforgettable experience, with each dive unveiling a new and exciting facet of this incredible marine world.
Diving Myanmar at Western Rocky
Western Rocky never disappoint
The Blue dragon only need to eat for the first few months of its life before they become self reliant!
Did you know? The Blue dragon only need to eat for the first few months of its life before they become self reliant!
Seafan Forest
The astonishing Seafan Forest
A beautiful giant seafan
A beautiful giant seafan
Durban dancing shrimps
Durban dancing shrimps
A grumpy frogfish
A grumpy frogfish
​On our final day of diving, Day 7, we savored the opportunity to explore the depths of Dendro's Peak, a deep pinnacle nearby teeming with marine life. Here, we were fortunate to encounter elusive ghost pipefish, elegant stingrays gliding effortlessly through the water, and schools of majestic big-eyed Trevallies. Each sighting added to the magic of the underwater world, leaving us in awe of its wonders.

Our last dive took us to the breathtaking lagoon of Volcano Island, where we embarked on a unique diving experience. Beginning with a tranquil descent into the shallow waters, we eventually surfaced within the confines of the island itself. Here, surrounded by the untouched beauty of nature, we were enveloped in a sense of serenity and harmony, punctuated only by the melodic sounds of native birdlife. It was a fitting conclusion to our underwater journey, offering a perfect blend of adventure and tranquility to carry with us as cherished memories.
A couple of butterfly fish
A couple of butterfly fish
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Camille Fogarolo 

Camille has been traveling the world since her mid twenties and dived many seas before finally settling down in Thailand in 2012. With her husband Franck, they opened The Smiling Seahorse liveaboard to offer cruises in the most unexplored area of South East Asia and became quite the experts when it comes to diving in Myanmar! Proud mother of two she still travels as much as she can and usually joins a dive trip to Mergui Archipelago every month.

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  • When & Where
    • Schedule and Prices
    • Destinations >
      • North Andaman Thailand >
        • Similan Islands
        • Surin Islands >
          • Richelieu Rock
        • The essential Underwater photo Guide to diving Thailand
      • South Andaman Thailand >
        • Phuket & Koh Phi Phi National Parks
        • Koh Lanta National Park
        • Koh Lipe and Tarutao National Park
      • Mergui Archipelago >
        • Liveaboard diving holiday in Myanmar
        • Burma's best dive sites
        • The Ultimate Underwater photo Guide to diving Burma
  • ABOUT
    • Our Boat >
      • DELICIOUS FOOD
    • Diving in Thailand in 2024-2025
    • Diving in Myanmar/Burma in 2024-2025
    • Blackwater diving in Thailand and Myannmar
    • Marine life in Thailand's Andaman Sea
    • Marine life in Mergui Archipelago
    • Dive Courses >
      • Learn to Dive
      • Continue diving education
      • Rescue diver
      • Professional Dive Courses
      • Hone your dive skills with a specialty course
      • Photo coaching in Thailand on the Smiling Seahorse
    • Guest Book
    • FAQ
  • Plan your trip
    • Our hotels recommendations
    • Khao Sok National Park
    • Taxi services >
      • Taxi services to and from Ranong
      • Taxi services to and from Phuket
      • Taxi services to Tap Lamu and Khao Lak
    • 10 things to do around Ranong
  • PROMO
    • HOT DEALS
    • Special Expeditions >
      • 8D Special Marine Bio with Gavin Miller - 10 Nov 2025
      • 8D Whale shark expedition - 20 March 2026 - North and South
  • gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Most popular posts