Myanmar

The Mergui Archipelago comprises a large number of islands in Burmese waters. The several hundred islands are mostly uninhabited, and it was not until 1997 that the first dive cruise organizers got permission to go diving in the islands. Many brochures loaded with praise, but this dive destination a few reservations should be made, especially after reading my diving experiences in the spring of 2006 where I spent a number of these beautiful dive sites (re) visited. The dive cruises depart increasingly from Thailand and Myanmar, especially learning to sail should first border and customs formalities to be completed by what happens in the port town of Victoria Point 'locally known as Kaw Thaung.

Victoria Point - Kaw Thaung

PINNACLE FANFORREST

The beginning of the cruise began with a dip at 'Fan Forrest Pinnacle. A rock structure that rises to a few meters below the water surface. It had to be the start of a fantastic introduction to the rich underwater world of Myanmar. It was early morning, the 1st dive of the day and several small boats with primitive Burmese people on board were anchored at the dive site. The innocent, we went to water at a first look in amazement looking at each other. The entire ocean floor was littered with dead fish. Large and small, from giant moray to batfish. The numerous dead fish and sea urchins heremietkrabben that too well did this horrible event. It was my first real introduction to the effects of dynamite fishing. Such a massacre, I had never seen underwater. Two weeks later I returned this dive site with world-renowned underwater photographer Stephen Wong and Takako Uno his wife. The entire massacre was nowhere in sight and nature had completely obliterated all traces in two weeks time. Larger fish were not in sight distances and the largest specimens were parrotfish and some riflemen. A diver was to everyone's surprise a few snapshots of a bull shark that swam along by chance. On this dive site, the remaining few highlights pharaoh cuttlefish, moray eels and dozens, including some nice nudibranchs Cuthona yamasui. This naaktslakje feeds hydroides and was found in shallow water. We saw some beautiful Ella Born anguilla snails. Large numbers of moray eels were present at almost all dive sites we visited. In my humble opinion a result of the regular abundance of dead fish by dynamite fishing where they also feed on them.

WESTERN ROCKIES

It was a long time ago, but after eight years saw "western Rockies' still unaltered. A beautiful little island with some impressive nearby rock pillars. A couple eagles are always present. Underwater a fantastic environment more or less a wall dive with a huge attraction ark and a cave structure through which people across the island to reach. During the dives we found a white frogfish who occupied a cave overgrown with white sponges. A beautiful red giant frogfish was located in a forest of soft corals. I also got the rare opportunity to photograph a couple of harlequin shrimp. We found beautiful slugs (huge Glossostigma Doris cincta) and egg shells. Some harlequin ghost pipefish were on display. Not big fish but different reports of bull sharks came in from later cruises.

Western Rockies

BURMA BANKS

Silvertip BANK - BIG BANK - BANK ROE

Far away, in the open sea, are the "Burma banks. These dive sites, large plateaus of one square kilometer on average rise from the sea to between 15 and 40 meters depth. A lot is talked in superlatives about the sharks and other pelagic species that we can find. The Burma banks were, however, free to be poor with a very monotonous coral growth, large coral bommies. The visibility was the best I ever experienced was in the Andaman sea and was at least 50 meters. Sharks were rarely seen. Only a whitetip reef shark (under a coral block) and a nurse shark (40 meters) were the few highlights of this dive sites. During the last dive we focused on the small marine life even as there is no great to see. We found some pretty nudibranchs including a mating pair Halgerda tesselata.

SOUTH TWIN ROCK

Several hours after our dive boat on the Burma banks in the late afternoon we arrived at the "South Twin Rock. A beautiful island with beautiful bay and calm waters invited us for a quiet swim without. Some beautiful rock formations were seen, but the highlight was the different types of slugs that we were back. (Phydiana indica - Chromodoris annulata - Hypselodoris Krakatoa - Hypselodoris maculosa - Flabelina exoptata. Absolute nadir of the dip was already the number of dead fish we found back in shallow water at the end of the dive. Dynamite fishing had already taken its toll.

BLACK ROCK

Renowned as a top dive spots in Burma is this site a few hours sailing in the far west of the Burmese waters. This site is primarily known for large pelagic species such as whale sharks and manta rays as well as several shark species are regularly would stay. Absolute target for this dive was finding a very rare fish on 'Black Rock' was present. Rhinopias aphanes, whom the scorpion, is about to nr1 of all photographers and filmmakers wish list. My first visit to the dive site was opposed, however, an absolute low point in my diving career. In some places the layer of dead fish in large numbers together and formed a carpet of lifeless bodies. A shameful picture of what happened in Burma continues daily, dynamite fishing. We found exactly the place back to where the scorpion whose were previously stopped. Again the ground was littered with dead fish. From our droomvis no trace. Due to the large distance to the next dive site we had to stay there all day. Outside some nice nudibranchs and many moray eels again there was nothing to see. However, this would all be different two weeks later at my next visit. All traces of the damage caused by dynamite fishing had already been erased. Large reef fish were still nowhere to observe. This was in fact so all dive sites in Burma. Now, however, the presence of three manta rays that stayed the whole day with us a nice peak. Some divers descended to greater depths (50m +) that have different gray reef sharks and some very large black spotted stingrays (Taeniura melanospilos) saw. In shallow water, many moray eels including geelkop moray (Gymnothorax fimbriatus) WITOOG and moray eels (Siderea prosopeion). Also a wonderful shellfish (Crenavolva tigris) was found on soft coral. We found a very nice stonefish and scorpion fish variety.

BlackRock

THREE Islet

Three islands make up the dive site "Three islet. Here one can easily make several dives and each island is definitely worth a dive. This site is also known for its shark cave where, according to the dive guides, always including a few nurse sharks spend a very large specimen. The shark cave, I take a look at every visit, but the Sharks were never present. On my first visit to islet Three 'were at a certain location on the northeast side of the main island, still visible the traces of recent dynamite fishing. Fish bones and scraps of fish were clearly visible on the bottom. Again no big reef fish. On this dive site but lots of nice touches like anemone shrimp, cleaning shrimp, egg shells in dendronepthia soft coral. An anemone was surrounded by five different kinds of shrimp. A beautiful spectacle. We found during the dives more than 15 harlequin ghost pipefish. Even up to four together.

HIGH ROCK

During the briefing we were already pointed out not too much to expect from the coral formations on this dive site. And as it turned out rightly. Lots of damage has been caused by fishing nets and only close to the island state is better. We went there looking for harlequin ghost pipefish and the tiger tail seahorse (Hippocampus comes). Together with one dive buddy Steve Childs, we were the only dive team, both were shown. On this dive site are many different types of moray eels and a slug that I never saw Halgerda iota.

High Rock is a small rocky island with the tree top.

STEWART ROCK

A beautiful dive site with several large rotspleten nice swim through holes to form from one side of the island to the other side to get. The underwater scenery here is the highlight of the dive. We came back many slugs and some juvenile angelfish against.

Stewart Rock

ROCKY Islet

This shallow dive site with a long spur of the island has a beautiful hard coral reef. On sandy soils, there are thousands of sea urchins. The absolute highlight is the large amount of fire coals (Amphiprion ephippium), an anemone fish endemic to the Andaman Sea (Thailand to Sumatra), which we found here.

Rocky islet

KYUNN PHI HAR

Night dive site would be better avoided. Very little to see beyond some Polyclad flatworms and some Platydoris snails.

AHTET KHYUNN NI

Here I made my last dive in Burma and perhaps for a long time. I found two false stonefish (Scorpaenopsis diabolus) and a nice little snail. Halfway through the dive, however, we were there with a huge bang again be noted that dynamite fishing is never far away in Burma.

Ahtet Khyunn ni