Diving in Southeast Asia: A Guide to the Best Sites in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand by Sarah Ann Wormald & David Espinosa & Heneage Mitchell & Kal Muller & Fiona Nichols & John Williams

Author:Sarah Ann Wormald & David Espinosa & Heneage Mitchell & Kal Muller & Fiona Nichols & John Williams
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3
Tags: Non-Fiction, Travel, Marine Life, Southeast Asia, Sports, Illustrated, Diving, Guide
ISBN: 9781462918393
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Published: 2016-11-14T13:00:00+00:00

This giant potato cod (Epinephelus tukula) is resting in a field of coral rubble.

Allied cowries, prized by shell collectors, are difficult to find because they adapt very well to their surroundings, usually sea fans and soft corals.

A user fee is charged by the Myanmar authorities to enter and dive the Mergui Archipelago. The permits are usually organized by your liveaboard operator, but check if the price is included in your cruise price or if it is an additional fee payable when you arrive. Divers planning to visit the Mergui Archipelago should also check what current visa restrictions apply, if any, prior to making a confirmed booking.

The Burma Banks are no longer the prime reason to visit the area as there are so many better dive sites. Although sharks and rays are seen on a regular basis both at the Burma Banks and at the islands lying further inshore, environmental problems, including long-line fishing and trawling, have had an effect on this type of wildlife. Much has been written about the area being a place to see sharks and other large fish but the main reason for visiting, honestly, is to see the incredible variety of smaller fish and reef invertebrates, many of which are not found in Thai waters. This, and the sheer immensity of the area, are reasons to go. If catching sight of large animals is the only reason for visiting the archipelago, divers will be disappointed.

DIVERSE DIVING ENVIRONMENTS

There are four types of diving environments in the Mergui Archipelago: shallow inshore fringing island reefs where visibility is often poor but the diversity of marine life is unsurpassed; offshore fringing reefs where the visibility is considerably better and the coral is much healthier; pinnacles and small rocky islands that rise from the depths of the ocean and attract larger marine life, such as sharks and rays; and banks that rise up from depths of over 300 meters and attract different types of marine life altogether. All in all, the Mergui Archipelago contains some of the most diverse and interesting marine ecosystems in the world.

Far inshore, the islands are lush, with vegetation and primary jungle, and contain some of the last jungle cats, eleplants and other large mammals to be found in Southeast Asia. For those who are interested in more than diving, jungle walks and river trips can and should be considered as part of your trip. Bird-watchers and other observers of terrestrial life will be thrilled.

Further offshore, the islands are drier and lay in deep enough water to afford good visibility. Here, the corals, sea fans, and fish life are similar to that found in Thailand but with much more diversity of species. This makes the diving better and more exciting than in the waters to the east or to the south.

FACE TO FACE WITH SHARKS

At least nine species of shark have been reported in Burma, including bull, tiger, hammerhead, grey reef, nurse, mako and spinner. At the Burma Banks, white tip, tawny nurse and silver tip sharks are the ones to look out for.

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