Travel Destination » Travel in the Mergui Archipelago

CRUISES OF EXPLORATION
Thailand-based operators offering cruises to the Mergui Archipelago. Most of the trips are dive oriented, but an increasine number are including land based or top activities. such as coastal exploration on the islands. sea kayaking. some hiking and excursions ton Lampi Island). Ultimately nature-based cruises may take over from the dive cruises. The choice for consumers is growing rapidly, from along weekend excursion (a four-day cruise) to a ten-day trip right up through the archipelago to Mergui itself. The range of boats includes motor-powered live a boards and sailing yachts, but all are comfortable, well-run and in the hands of competent crew (see ‘Practicalities’ for details). Virtually all cruises set out from Kawthaung, a coastal town right on the border with Thailand, and just a five-hour drive from Phuket. The environment-based cruises tend to stay close to the coast, cover less distance than the dive cruises, but spend more time at each location.

Opening up the sea
When it comes to diving, easily the biggest attraction in the Mergui Archipelago is diving with big fish, namely sharks, rays and a wealth of other pelagics. It’s hard to describe the excitement of divers who visit the many open ocean sites. The Burma Banks and Black Rock, for instance, attract a huge variety of sharks, have a high incidence of rays and schools of mantas are frequently seen. There’s also a vast range of smaller reef creatures, providing a more relaxing environment for those not wishing to participate in the hig age diving. Compared to sites further in the Andaman Sea, the coral in Mervin neither as abundant nor as colourful the underwater terrain is a lot more Many dive cruises head north the some of the inshore islands, up to 9 Rock some 150km north of then loop around via Burma Banks number of the other spectacular off sites before arriving back in Kawth But with the archipelago increasingly to exploration, sites further north are discovered and some operators are off longer trips which finish in Mergui.

Western Rocky
This site is generally dived on the want or from the Burma Banks. The underm terrain consists of pinnacles and rocky crops. The largest pinnacle has a cave ting right through it which branches a very narrow, low exit. This shouldn’t taken – but it’s easy to recognize as are two large nurse sharks residing in it in the tunnel are numerous crayfish and vertebrates. Around the other pinnacles celain crabs and sea anemones abo Away from the structures are a variery small familiar reef sharks.

South Twin Island
There are in fact three similar sites to explore around this islet. The best is off northern end of the bay on the eastern Large boulders are scattered around with a reasonable presence of elk staghorn coral, and many small, colo reef fish. Familiar faces include triggerfish and juvenile Moorish idols. rocks provide good shelter in strong rents, but a number of painted crayfish made a lair under one of the ledges. Away from the rocks large schools of mackerel pass by along with jack, tuna and trevally. The southern point of the bay is very similar in its underwater topography, but there is a better representation of marine life, notably feather stars and crinoids.

North Twin
Immediately to the north of the island is a wide plateau at 20m, crowned by many hard and soft corals, crinoids and small reef fish. Small groups of goatfish fidget about the rocks and over the coral substrate bottom; juvenile harlequin sweet lip, and clusters of sea fans and hard coral highlight the rocks; and schools of checkerboard and other small fish use a compact cluster of seafans as a haven. Larger table corals and porite mounds arc dotted with multi-coloured plume worms. Below the mounds crayfish conceal themselves in the dark overhangs. Heading from north to south at 15m is a gully, and inside it is a selection of surgeonfish. Parrot fish, damsels, spiny foot and dog faced puffer, have also taken up residency. The waters away from the island appear to be on one of the many routes for Burmese barracuda and small hire tip reef sharks. The former often come in to check out divers and on occasion escort them round the site!

Black Rock
This is a tremendously exciting dive site, and rapidly emerging as a Popular favourite amongst the Nlergui sites discovered so far. The high voltage comes from the constant presence of sharks – many of them, and in all shapes, sizes, varieties and species. This primarily a wall dive. The sloping rock face tapers down to below. 40m, where can observe larger sharks such as scalloped hammerheads, bull and grey reef sharks. Large barracuda give a wake-tip call to any inattentive divers investigating the rocks.

North East Torres
This site can be a great shark and ray dive: black tip, white tip and grey reef sharks all cruise by. The ray population seems to be headed by large black spotted ribbon-tail stingrays and black marbled rays. But it also has spectacular coral gardens: at 22m you can find numerous coral boulders, mounds and coral laminates. Brain corals, lesser and greater star corals, tables of stag and elk horn La coral, small gorgonians and sea whips are all there to be observed and enjoyed. The shallower southeast section of this submerged garden has sergeant majors, and crayfish concealed in narrow crevices. Look closer and you’ll see cornet and trumpet fish hovering above the branch corals, bearded scorpion fish, mock cleaner fish — a very enjoyable dive with an exceptionally diversity of marine life.

Great Western Torres
The actual dive site is off the rugged northwest coast of the western-most of two islands. The dive path meanders around a large number of enormous submerged boulders, regularly patrolled by black and white tip sharks. The centre piece of the dive is a submerged pinnacle which rises front around 40m to 20m. Its walls are sheer and barren, and provide a great observation station for the abundant sea life in the area. The eastern section of the site is shallower. and has a good range of hard coral dotted with sea anemones. One of the best to do this dive is to break it into two sections. If you start from the north of the site. you can enjoy an exciting drift dive around. over and sometimes even through all manner of geometrically shaped boulders seated in all angles. Keep an eye out to sea and into the depths for passing sharks and rays. The second section is shallower and is somewhat more protected from any currents due to the layout of the underwater terrain. There is a major ledge at 16m. and you should slow down to enjoy it. Overall it’s a very enjoyable site which proves all the theories of a high presence of pelagics in flowing waters, and smaller colourful creatures adopting the more sheltered waters. This is a great site for both wide angle and macro photography.

Tower Rock
Above the water this eerie-looking rocky karst conjures up all sorts of images of what to expect in the depths below. This is primarily a wall dive, although away from wall itself there arc scattered rocks exploring. (It seems more than a few reef sharks — black tips, white tips mad silver tips - agree with this.) The wall tans lots of holes and crags which form lairs for crayfish and other small vertebrates. Many solitary juvenile blue ring and emperor angelfish flutter around the wall. But the big excitement here is down around 30m, where sharks hover around the rocks and schools of tang and jacks are common sights.

Chevalier Rock
There’s a shallow reef which runs between two rocky pinnacles, which mark the site. In calm conditions this makes for a good easy drift dive, but in a powerful surge currents can be strong and tricky, and tic dive is then only for the experienced. you go northwest, you pass over an field of Gorgonian fans in varying shades of orange, all in neat rows perpendicular to the wall. Continue on through a gorge that takes you to 24m. Fish life consists mainly of small checkerboard lunar wrasse; and in the eastern section numerous schools of tang and powder blue surgeonfish. At this depth the rocky structure is fairly barren, but if you ascend