Our tour route marked in the sea map

Burma sea sites under water 2008

Its my third time that I came to Burma for diving in the Andaman Sea at the Mergui Archipelago. Diving in Burma still is not very common so the number of diving tourist are limited and many rare fish species still are seen is this waters.
Compared to my first visit in the Burmesian waters the fish life has reduced particularly the life of the nurse-, silver-tipped-, white-tipped-, black-tipped- a…  (read more)
Our tour route marked in the sea map

Our tour route marked in the sea map

09 Mar 2008 466
Kaw Thaung, port to check in to Burmese waters

Kaw Thaung, port to check in to Burmese waters

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Kaw Thaung is included in Tanintharyi Division in the southernmost part of the Union of Myanmar.At the mouth of Parchan river there is Kawthaung Cape (formerly Victoria Point) which is in the southern most part of Myanmar.
Kaw Thaung or Victoria Point

Kaw Thaung or Victoria Point

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The southernmost point of Burma and our port to check in for the diving tour. We've to stay on board while Burmese authorities check our documents and deal with the (grey) visa. 300 $ US each visa, only new bills accepted. A liaison officer came on board to observe our boat course to the Mergui island range.
Black Manta our cruising boat

Black Manta our cruising boat

06 Mar 2008 608
Felix and myself ready for the dive

Felix and myself ready for the dive

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White fan corals in 15 meters

White fan corals in 15 meters

04 Mar 2008 527
Too warm water bleach the corals. A big problem at many places in the Andaman Sea.
Goldstrip fusilier fishes and a fan coral

Goldstrip fusilier fishes and a fan coral

04 Mar 2008 832
Fusilier fishes are related to the snappers, but adapted for feeding on plankton, rather than on larger prey.
Pterois known as lion fish

Pterois known as lion fish

04 Mar 2008 701
Lionfish are known for their venomous fin rays, a feature that is uncommon among marine fish in the East Coast coral reefs. Stings from Lionfish are quite painful. The potency of their venom makes them excellent predators and dangerous to fishermen and divers. But the fish never is aggressive and never attacks, divers just have to take care to do not touch the fins, even not by mistake.
A swarm of yellow snappers

A swarm of yellow snappers

04 Mar 2008 1 1 565
About 100 species of snappers are currently recognized, divided into about 16 genera. A large number of species have "snapper" in their common name.
Diving along the rock fall

Diving along the rock fall

04 Mar 2008 472
Diving close to the rocks, a lot of opportunities to discover microorganism.
Two rocks as small pinnacle islands

Two rocks as small pinnacle islands

04 Mar 2008 656
A pinnacle always is a rock island without any palms or trees. Ideal diving conditions are guaranteed.
Ghostly views at the cave entrance

Ghostly views at the cave entrance

04 Mar 2008 505
Poor visibility near the cave entrance but a lot of plankton means the presence of many big fish.
Sea urchins all over the rocks

Sea urchins all over the rocks

04 Mar 2008 505
The name "urchin" is an old name for the round spiny hedgehogs that sea urchins resemble. We've to care not to come to close, some are shooting with their spines.
Soft corals in different colors

Soft corals in different colors

04 Mar 2008 512
The Alcyonacea, or the soft corals are an order of corals which do not produce calcium carbonate skeletons. Soft corals contain minute, spiny skeletal elements called sclerites, useful in species identification. This colors give the underwater world an amazing vista.
Getting on board after the dive

Getting on board after the dive

04 Mar 2008 522
Yellowtail snappers

Yellowtail snappers

05 Mar 2008 679
In certain reefs, most notably in the Andaman Sea, this beautifully colored fish is commonly spotted among divers
Sea anemones

Sea anemones

05 Mar 2008 582
Anemones tend to stay in the same spot until conditions become unsuitable (prolonged dryness, for example), or a predator attacks them. In that case anemones can release themselves from the substrate and use flexing motions to swim to a new location. Most sea anemones attach temporarily to submerged objects; a few thrust themselves into the sand or live in burrows; a few are parasitic on other marine organisms and some have symbiotic relationships with hermit crabs.
Leopard shark

Leopard shark

05 Mar 2008 729
Absolute harmless to humans, the leopard shark is caught by commercial and recreational fisheries for food and the aquarium trade. I saw plenty of this fish in Thai waters, particular Similan area. The leopard shark is most commonly found in sandy or muddy bays and estuaries either at or near the bottom.
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