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The Andaman Sea
Extending from Myanmar down past the west coast of Thailand to beyond the Malaysian border, the Andaman Sea forms part of the Indian Ocean. Many of the 155 islands in the Andaman Sea are uninhabited (apart from communities of Chao Ley – ‘sea gypsies’), and are crowned by lush primary vegetation tumbling down to a shoreline punctuated by idyllic sandy beaches.
Most of the diving in this region is organized from the popular holiday island destination of Phuket, with a wide variety of operators offering recreational and technical training, day trips, and liveaboard options. The best time for diving is between October and May.
In general the Andaman Sea has more extensive coral reefs but similar visibility to the Gulf of Thailand, with most of the reefs around the offshore islands occurring on the east sides of the islands, due to the influence of the southwest monsoon; the west coasts tend to have rocky slopes descending to 10-30m in depth.
Towards the northern end of the Thai coastline, a series of granitic outcrops lie in deep, clear water with reefs descending to 25-30m and beyond in depth. These are the Similan and Surin Islands, whose breathtaking underwater scenery and great diversity of marine life have gained them a considerable reputation in the diving community.
Given their proximity to Phuket, it is not surprising that these two island groups are among the country’s most popular destinations for liveaboard trips.
Further to the north in Myanmar is the Mergui Archipelago, recently opened to foreigners, offering real wilderness diving over unusual underwater terrain, with the added attraction of shark encounters.
The coastline of Phuket itself offers little for the experienced diver, although there are dive sites that can be (and are) used for training and are also a good option if bad weather prevents boats getting to the better sites.
These offshore sites are mostly to the south, and can be reached by relatively short boat rides of between one and two hours. They are all well worth the journey, but two in particular (Shark Point and Anemone Reef) stand out as being special in terms of the abundance of marine life.
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A cornucopia of colour awaits below
Ao Nang, Krabi
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