Diving the remote Burma banks: a shark enthusiast's paradise
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Would you like to explore the unexplored?
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Until the ’90s the Burma banks were only known to some fishermen and boat captains but their exact location remained undocumented. Pioneering scuba divers at this time couldn’t quell their curiosity and began visiting these sites more regularly. Before then, tourism was not widely practiced in Myanmar but with the surrounding countries becoming more and more trodden by foreign visitors, it became an increasingly popular destination for those seeking an exclusive diving experience.
The banks have become more easily accessible recently but there are still on the road less travelled that continues to beguile the most adventurous. The scuba diving world is notoriously curious and some very lucky divers have been able to venture out into the Indian ocean to experience something that is still fairly unique at the Burma Banks. The Smiling Seahorse is the leading specialist in diving in Burma and is one of the very few diving companies that venture that far out to sea to these truly one of a kind dive sites.
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The Mergui Archipelago is already a place where you will have the thrill of diving all by yourself on a site that few have ever been to, but the Burma Banks takes exclusivity to another level.
We don’t visit the banks on every cruise as it takes a whole night of travel to get there from North Twin, the closest dive site where we usually dive before heading off. To make the long journey worthwhile we will dive these sites for an entire day (sometimes even 2 days when the conditions are spectacular) and we return to the more dive-site-concentrated area of the Archipelago overnight. |
Burma banks seen in transparency from the sky
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Don't go to bed too early during these crossings as one experience you might never forget is seeing a pod of dolphins bathed in bioluminescence at the bow of the boat. During the black moon, we often treat diver’s to a bit of a show by stopping in the middle of the endless sea and turning off the engine and all the lights on the boat. With no sound or light pollution, we will get cozy on the top deck and stare upwards at the most brilliant display of stars that you will ever get the chance to see.
If this kind of exploratory diving interests you, then our exploratory cruises are the right ones for you! There 9 days-cruise goes to the Burma banks as well as the best dive sites of Mergui Archipelago from Western Rocky in the south to Black Rock in the North, made famous by its "Giant Manta soups" in addition to the Burma banks.
If this kind of exploratory diving interests you, then our exploratory cruises are the right ones for you! There 9 days-cruise goes to the Burma banks as well as the best dive sites of Mergui Archipelago from Western Rocky in the south to Black Rock in the North, made famous by its "Giant Manta soups" in addition to the Burma banks.
When to go and what to expect...
Approaching the Burma Banks is eerily serene. Surrounded by an endless unobstructed sea with not another boat in sight, you will feel like a renaissance explorer sailing toward the edge of the world. You may not even notice that you’ve arrived as the only hint that there is anything around is the shimmer of the schools of fishes visible from the surface.
The season for diving in Myanmar is from October until May, but we prefer visiting the Burma banks mid-season when the weather is nothing but clear blue skies and mirror-esque seas. In Myanmar, we experience predictable 6-hour tidal changes that affect the currents based on the phases of the moon. In the Burma banks, however, currents are far less tidal and much more variant as they are so far offshore. The mildest currents flow during the mid-moon and they get significantly stronger during the full moon and new (black) moon. Water temperatures are consistently between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius and the water clarity here is regularly up to a staggering 40m of visibility.At this particular site this is especially useful as you can still see the features clearly while hovering several meters above and don’t have to forfeit precious bottom time. In February, there is commonly a coral blooming event which can reduce the visibility but make the chances of an encounter with large pelagic species skyrocket.
The season for diving in Myanmar is from October until May, but we prefer visiting the Burma banks mid-season when the weather is nothing but clear blue skies and mirror-esque seas. In Myanmar, we experience predictable 6-hour tidal changes that affect the currents based on the phases of the moon. In the Burma banks, however, currents are far less tidal and much more variant as they are so far offshore. The mildest currents flow during the mid-moon and they get significantly stronger during the full moon and new (black) moon. Water temperatures are consistently between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius and the water clarity here is regularly up to a staggering 40m of visibility.At this particular site this is especially useful as you can still see the features clearly while hovering several meters above and don’t have to forfeit precious bottom time. In February, there is commonly a coral blooming event which can reduce the visibility but make the chances of an encounter with large pelagic species skyrocket.
The Burma Banks are particularly special to this region for several reasons and this makes this a great site to throw a little variety into your cruise. Species of both marine creatures and coral found abundantly here, are not found commonly in other nearby diving destinations.
In the rest of Myanmar and Mergui archipelago, the predominant coral varieties are soft and full of colour and fluffy textures. At the Burma Banks, you will find many more hard corals than anywhere else in the area. There are barrel sponges so big you could sit inside of them and enormous coral bummies that would make a bus look like a child’s toy. The topography here is really very different from anything else you will see throughout your dives and will set a magnificent background for marine life encounters. As the banks are really large underwater sand dunes made up of endless coral-covered sloping sides and topped with a vast plateau, there are no walls or drop-offs making them fairly unique as dive sites.
In the rest of Myanmar and Mergui archipelago, the predominant coral varieties are soft and full of colour and fluffy textures. At the Burma Banks, you will find many more hard corals than anywhere else in the area. There are barrel sponges so big you could sit inside of them and enormous coral bummies that would make a bus look like a child’s toy. The topography here is really very different from anything else you will see throughout your dives and will set a magnificent background for marine life encounters. As the banks are really large underwater sand dunes made up of endless coral-covered sloping sides and topped with a vast plateau, there are no walls or drop-offs making them fairly unique as dive sites.
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Another special feature of the Burma Banks is the regular sighting of several species of sharks thanks to its exposed open ocean location. There are good chances to spot sharks on many other dive sites in the area but none are quite as impressive as this shark lover’s paradise.
Nurse sharks
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Tiger shark
Since we have begun visiting more regularly, we have spotted 9 different species of sharks here, including silvertip, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, nurse sharks, leopard shark, whale sharks and even the more elusive tiger shark. |
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We have heard from seasoned divers that were lucky enough to visit the banks when they were first discovered and they have said that 20 years ago it was the place to be for shark diving. The sheer number of sharks is rumoured to have been astonishing but with the growing demand for fishing them for their fins, their numbers greatly diminished. Thankfully the Burmese government banned fishing boats and any activities thereof in the Burma banks several years ago which has allowed their numbers to slowly grow. On the bright side, there are still many more sharks here than in the Mergui Archipelago which is still stunning but unfortunately hasn’t adopted similar policies.
The banks are also loved by several common types of rays namely, big blotched stingrays, porcupine rays and spotted eagle rays.
You may even get lucky and encounter a giant manta ray soaring with the current. The deep blue surrounding these sites are also a playground for pelagic schools of jacks, barracuda, rainbow runners, bonito, fusiliers and tuna. There are also a few species that we have only ever seen at the banks like the clown triggerfish and the honeycomb moray eel (right). If you are very patient and have a keen eye, you may be able to see certain types of smaller creatures, but macro life is certainly not the main crowd-pleaser here. In any case, the Mergui Archipelago has so much to offer in this domain that it is not worth looking at the banks in my opinion.
barrel sponge
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Silvertip Shark
porcupine ray
massive blotched stingray
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Diving procedures at the Burma Banks
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Considering the particularities of the banks there are some procedures that we would like you to be aware of. Because of unpredictable currents and the fact that we are in the open ocean with no land or boats anywhere near, it is incredibly important to carry an SMB with you on any dive here. |
Currents can not only differ from the surface to the bottom but they can also change on a dime. You may be drifting with a current when it suddenly stops, giving you a moment of weightless serenity. Just as quickly as it halted, it can resume in a different direction. But not to worry, the topography of the sites don’t allow for any dangerous down or up currents. This potential variance does make planning your dive a bit of a challenge as changing currents can sweep you away from the point of the dive site you were aiming for. But not to worry, all you need to do is shoot up your SMB and if you have ample time and gas you can still sometimes even descend again from a new more suitable angle.
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Make sure to strictly follow the buddy pair system in this amusement park. These currents can spread a group apart quite easily so make sure to stay close enough to your buddy to reach them quickly if you ever get separated from your guide.
We often try to plan the dives to maximize bottom time and safety here. The first two dives we often descend into the blue a little ways from the banks and allow the currents to carry us back to the main site. It can be quite exhilarating to know that there are several hundred meters of water below you but it can also be disorienting. Make sure to focus on a reference like your rising bubbles to combat vertigo and most importantly watch your depths! |
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On subsequent dives we often descend over the plateaus on the top of the banks which are shallower and a bit more friendly to dwindling bottom times after multiple dives. The visibility allows us to hover several meters over the bottom and pick and choose which features you would like to descend to get a closer look. We love bouncing from bommie to bommie to peek at a nurse shark, turtle or ray hiding underneath.
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These are also great sites to dive using Nitrox! The staggering depths will eat up your NDLs on multiple dives and you want to be sure to have time to check out the thriving coral and cruising sharks at deeper depths on the pinnacles.
Our diving cruises in Myanmar
Burma diving cruise for 6 days 5 nights : Explore the Mergui islands
Burma diving cruise of 7 days and 6 nights : up to Black Rock
8 days diving around the undiscovered Mergui Archipelago
Our most popular Myanmar diving cruise featuring a full tour of the Mergui Archipelago
9 days Burma exploration cruise: one step further
Let's explore new dive sites in Burma... Come with us to the most remote locations...
Burma diving cruise of 7 days and 6 nights : up to Black Rock
8 days diving around the undiscovered Mergui Archipelago
Our most popular Myanmar diving cruise featuring a full tour of the Mergui Archipelago
9 days Burma exploration cruise: one step further
Let's explore new dive sites in Burma... Come with us to the most remote locations...
