Myanmar - Diving in Burma

Mergui Archipelago and the Burma Banks

In the Andaman Sea, to the north of the Thai border lie the largely undisturbed seas of Myanmar. Since the area was only opened up to tourism in 1997, divers who choose to dive in Burma, feel a great sense of privilege at witnessing the awesome sights above and below the surface of a region that has remained untouched for years.

Many divers board Phuket liveaboards to explore the Similan Islands, but if you venture further north to Burma, what will you find? Firstly you will have the opportunity to dive and cruise far from the average tourist's beaten track. Picture yourself onboard a ship cutting through the silence on flat-calm crystal seas, past uninhabited, secluded islands without another vessel in site. Burma scuba diving offers rewards beyond its excellent dive spots.

Fish sightings you can expect to see include armies of barracuda, dogtooth tuna, batfish, unicornfish and trevallies. Bigger pelagics such as manta rays and the awesome whale shark, and grey reef and white tip sharks may put in an appearance. Many of the sites are renowned for their big fish action and you hear people talk of sites such as Shark Cave and Black Rock in hushed, reverential tones.

However it is the smaller stuff which is beginning to win recognition and make divers realise there is more to diving here than merely the big fish and seclusion. Lobsters, crabs and shrimps of seemingly every shape, colour and size scuttle over the sea floor whilst cuttlefish, ghost pipefish, frogfish and octopus all enjoying the relatively diver-free environment.

Highlights

To glimpse the best of Burma we recommend you look no further than these renowned places for Myanmar scuba diving:

The Burma Banks flatten out at just over 20 metres with little in the way of shallow features so nitrox is a popular choice. Scuba diving at the Burma Banks means beautiful expansive sea fans and some of the most pristine hard coral formations you will ever see. There is a timeless beauty to diving here and you get the feeling the underwater scenery has changed little for years and years.

Black Rock is an islet with steep walls past which swim a procession of exciting creatures including a variety of rays and sharks. Add to this excitement the wonder of an area of boulders featuring a profusion of soft corals and a shallow section of tube corals where all manner of crabs, urchins and other little creatures call home and you can see why many consider Black Rock to be the finest diving in Myanmar.

Shark Cave plays home to a group of nurse sharks although the entrance is often crowded with grey reef sharks and sweetlips. Swimming through the cave you will notice the highly decorated floor (yellow sponges) and ceiling (marigold cup corals). Despite the sharks the devil is in the detail here with Durban dancing shrimps, moray eels, cowries, sea slugs and more all adding to the entertainment.

Tower Rock features breathtaking topography with large submerged boulders and walls of rock vaulting high into the water column. The walls are studded with corals and fans providing shelter for spiny lobsters, banded shrimps, oysters and clams. However the manta rays are the stars of this particular show flying effortlessly past the impressive seascape.

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How to Dive Myanmar

The diving here is by liveaboard. There is no other way to take in enough of the sites, which are sometimes spread far and wide, than to board a liveaboard cruise from Phuket, Khao Lak or Ranong in Thailand.

There are a number of different options available here. Safaris that depart from Ranong and explore only the southern sections or northern sections of the Mergui Archipelago require at least five days cruising. Boat charters that travel up the Thai coast through the Similan Islands before crossing over into Burmese waters, take at least seven days. If you really want to feel like you are on a complete Burma liveaboard safari then we recommend you take a dedicated Myanmar cruise to discover the whole Mergui region. These trips require a minimum of ten days.

You can browse our Burma liveaboards to find the option that is right for you, but we would particularly like to point out the following Myanmar charter trips:

MV Sai Mai - One of the recognised dive safari experts for Myanmar, Sai Mai runs 7 day cruises that take in the southern Mergui Archipelago as well as the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock, and extended 10 day trips that also cover the northern Mergui region. Totally refitted for the 2006/7 season, this boat now has twin cabins with private bathrooms for a maximum of only 8 guests, meaning more space than ever before. Sai Mai now also offers nitrox diving.

MV Jazz - The only low priced liveaboard running trips to Burma, MV Jazz has departures to the South Mergui Archipelago, giving budget-conscious divers the opportunity to dive this exciting destination.

Diving Season

October to May sees the main Burma diving season. For optimum diving conditions we recommend you visit between the months of December and April. February to May tend to witness the most frequent manta ray and whale shark sightings.

Reef Summary

Great for: Large animals, small animals, underwater photography, dive value-for-money and advanced divers
Not so great for: Wrecks, beginner divers, snorkelling and non-diving activities
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 5 - 50m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 25 - 28°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: >50
Distance: ~280 km north of Phuket (14 hours), 60 km west of Kawthaung (3 hours)
Access: Liveaboard from Phuket, Khao Lak or Ranong in Thailand
Recommended length of stay: 5 - 10 days

More on Myanmar

If you want to read more about the individual dive sites themselves and get the low-down before you go down, then check out our detailed dive site descriptions of all the best:

For more on these and other destinations, visit our website Myanmar dive sites.

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• Mergui Archipelago  -  Burma

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