Burma Diving - Myanmar Dive Sites

Mergui Archipelago and Burma Banks

The Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar comprises 800 small islands north and east of Burma Banks. Some islands offer huge boulders, soft corals, sea fans, and excellent visibility. Others, such as Black Rock and Shark Cave, offer wall diving, caves and drop-offs.

The region has remained relatively untouched by the passage of time this past half century, and it maintains a mystical out-of-this-world aura of years gone by. When visiting these islands on liveaboard charters you really can forget about your worries, on a journey of discovery, unhurried by time and untroubled by others, as you dive Burma and explore these fascinating islands in peaceful solitude.

The Burma Banks are the most famous Burma diving destination, and they rise to within fifteen metres of the Andaman Sea surface, before plunging back down into the surrounding 300 metres deep waters. These open ocean sea mounts attract large pelagics and schooling fish from the surrounding waters.

Adrenaline-rich drift dives is what Burma Banks diving is all about, and shark encounters are virtually guaranteed. Two to three metre nurse sharks are frequently seen, with occasional silvertip shark sightings - you can never be quite sure what you might find here.

Other residents and visitors in the Mergui Archipelago include grey reef, white tip and whale sharks. Schools of mobula rays and manta rays are also frequently seen. Burma diving is equally attractive to macro enthusiasts too, with plentiful nudibranchs, clown frogfish, ghost pipefish, ribbon eels, as well as masses of lobsters, crabs, and shrimps - in fact, these's far more diversity here than in the more popular Thailand dive destinations.

Myanmar diving is exploratory frontier diving with regular discoveries of new sites. One of the main attractions here is to dive into the unknown. It will appeal if you want to escape the mass commercialism of nearby Thailand - those without a spirit of adventure need not apply!

• Map of Myanmar

The Myanmar Diving Season

Diving in Myanmar is open from October to May, and the best conditions exist from December to April, with whale sharks and manta rays visiting from February to May.

The Burma Banks liveaboard season runs from early October to mid May, but if you visit before the year end then the seas may be rougher.

Diving Burma - Reef Basics

Great for: Small animals, underwater photography, advanced divers, reef life and health
Not so Great for: Wrecks, beginner divers, 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: Liveaboards from Phuket, Khao Lak or Ranong
Recommended length of stay: 10 days

Dive The World Recommendations: Black Rock, Shark Cave and Burma Banks.

Other nearby sites that can be visited as part of a Myanmar liveaboard cruise:

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For more on Myanmar dive sites, visit our other website:
• Burma Diving Sites