MERGUI ARCHIPELAGO

This is a tiny islet with a solitary tree growing on the top, located roughly 75 kilometres northwest of Kawthaung.

Beneath the surface, you will find a steep rocky reef with a variety of corals and a huge, colourful anemone garden where large schools of yellow five-lined snappers hang out. A garden of small granite boulders at depth provides a home for octopus, cuttlefish and numerous moray eels. The cracks provide refuge for plenty of critters for macro lovers to discover including nudibranchs, pipefish, razorfish and seahorses while hunting wahoo, tuna, and barracuda can be spotted passing in the blue. 

Visibility and currents can sometimes be challenging but it is a rewarding site.

Strong currents around these granite islands bring with them groups of schooling barracuda, hunting tuna and mating cuttlefish. With often clear visibility the atmosphere on the reef at North Twin is breathtaking. Healthy Gorgonian sea fans can be admired at depth, while soft corals adorn the reef and bring plenty of vibrancy and colour.

North Twin features a sloping reef strewn with huge boulders covered with soft corals and encrusting sponges. Sweetlips, barracuda, a variety of angel fish and many smaller creatures including devil scorpion fish, pipe fish, shrimps and flabellina nudibranchs can be found all over the reef. Mantas may also be seen here.

On South Twin, you will find large boulders, steep-walled gorges, wide valleys, caverns and swim-throughs carved out of the granite foundations of the island. You can expect to see an abundance of moray eels, harlequin sweetlips, and cuttlefish. Eagle and devil rays may fly by while Kuhl’s stingrays and spotted garden eels can be seen on the sandy bottom.

Captain’s Rock, otherwise known as Bowie Rock, is a sloping reef with huge soft coral covered boulders. Sweetlips, barracuda, a variety of angel fish and many smaller creatures including devil scorpionfish, pipefish, shrimps and flabellina nudibranchs can be found all over the reef. Mantas may also be seen here too.

Black Rock stands alone in the Andaman Sea 100 miles northwest of the Thai Burmese border town of Kawthaung. The rock acts as a natural magnet for fish and other marine life. An excellent multi-level site, you can start your dive anywhere around the perimeter, depending on currents. 

Underwater terrain on the south side consists of a vertical wall down to roughly 27m, where it becomes a more  gradual slope. Just off the south-west corner is a particularly interesting area, where a detached rock formation  rises from very deep water to about 24m. These rocks are covered with small, vibrant soft corals, and often attract schooling snappers and rainbow runners.  

Back at the main islet, deeper sections are decorated with orange gorgonian fans, along with fields of corallimorpharians (they look like stony corals) on the sloping west and north sides. At the eastern tip, watch for vast numbers of magnificent anemones, especially at dawn and dusk when they show off their colourful bases. A wide range of invertebrate life can be found at Black Rock, including smashing and spearing mantis shrimp, spiny lobsters, hermit crabs, sea stars, cowrie shells, harlequin shrimp, octopus and cuttlefish. 

During safety stops, move slowly along the eastern and western ends of the south wall to find brilliantly coloured  elegant hermit crabs and a variety of nudibranchs, as well as golden wentletrap snails that feed on the orange  cup coral. Fish life is also abundant and varied, with a chance to see almost anything from scorpion fish and giant  morays to marbled sting rays. Mantas and even whale sharks are also sometimes visitors of this site.

As the name suggests, this submerged pinnacle, starting at 5 metres depth, is famous for its abundance of gorgonian sea-fans. The biggest gorgonians are in deeper waters around 20m and below. They are very healthy and support a wide variety of marine life including feather stars, cowries, hawkfish and shrimps. Schooling fish include snapper, trevally, rainbow runners and fusiliers. Moray eels and scorpion fish are also numerous. We are also likely to encounter giant marbled groupers and eagle rays here.

A short cruise south of Sea Fan Forest, Western Rocky consists of a main islet and several detached pinnacles. Among the most striking features is a huge underwater archway where schooling snappers often hang out. The soft limestone island is riddled with holes and crevices, providing hiding places for hinge-beak shrimp, thorny oysters, cowrie snails, nudibranchs, spiny lobsters and moray eels. Large Gorgonian fans and lush soft corals populate many of the deeper areas, while shallow portions of the south side wall are covered with orange cup corals and colourful encrusting sponges. Fish life can include almost anything from ornate ghost pipefish, seahorses and frogfish to schooling batfish and barracudas. 

Several kilometres south of the main islet, Western Rocky Pinnacle is shaped like a cheese wedge covered with hard and soft corals, lots of trevally and tuna and, if you are lucky, guitar sharks resting in the sand.

The three sites across these tiny islands (Shark Cave, Submarine and Square Rock) are rich with diverse marine life and a mix of caves, canyons, vertical walls, and sloping reefs. Many areas are populated with fields of anemones providing homes to five different species of anemonefish. 

Elsewhere, large tubastrea coral trees sprout from the rocky terrain, accompanied by crinoids, gorgonian fans, blue dragons, and pastel green rope sponge. Tiger tail seahorses are often encountered on the deep edges of the slope, as are a variety of moray eels with several species regularly sharing the same hole. 

Cuttlefish may be found at nearly any depth, sometimes courting and mating. Ornate ghost pipefish, cowrie shells, octopus, reef squid, jawfish, porcelain crabs, longnose pipefish, and mantis shrimps are often seen at this site. 

Scorpionfish are very abundant, so be careful where you place your hands! 

Shark Cave easily lends itself to several dives, where you can enjoy the diversity of the reef and marvel at the chasm that splits the island. Nurse and white-tip reef sharks can sometimes be found lurking inside the deeper part of the cavern along with marble rays, ghost pipefish and plenty of other fascinating creatures, including blue ribbon eels.

Burma Banks, located by the Western edge of Myanmar is known for its remote and untouched underwater landscapes, and offers a truly unique diving experience that’s not to be missed.

The diving here is rich in biodiversity, with the waters home to large pelagic species like reef sharks, manta rays, and schools of trevally. The coral reefs are vibrant, featuring soft corals and sponges, which create a stunning backdrop for any dive. Visibility is typically excellent, often reaching over 30 meters (100 feet), making it ideal for both leisurely dives and underwater photography.

Burma Banks is known for its dramatic underwater formations, including submerged pinnacles and steep walls. These features attract a variety of marine life, especially larger species. The currents can vary, offering something for divers of all levels - whether you're drifting along a current or facing a more challenging dive.

In summary, diving at Burma Banks is a thrilling experience and likely why it is known to so many, perfect for those seeking pristine waters, diverse marine life, and dramatic underwater landscapes. It’s a destination that promises unforgettable moments.