Diving in 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, and are crowned by lush primitive vegetation tumbling down to a shoreline punctuated by idyllic sandy beaches. Most of the diving in this region is organized from the popular holiday destination of Phuket, with a wide variety of operators offering training, day trips, and live-aboard options. The best time for diving is between October and May.
In general the Andaman Sea has more extensive coral reefs and better visibility than 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 coast tend to have rocky slopes descending to 10 to 30 meters 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 to 30 meters. Towards the northern end of the Thai coastline, a series of granite outcrops lie in deep, clear water with reefs descending to 25 to 30 meters and beyond in depth.
There 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
live-aboard trips.
Further to the northwest, the open ocean seamounts of the Burma Banks offer real wilderness diving over unusual underwater terrain, with shark encounters guaranteed. Beyond the watery borderline with Indian territory, the Andaman Islands are the latest frontier for Phuket live-aboards – although current Indian government restrictions on access mean that it cannot be guaranteed that these remote and interesting islands can be dived from Thailand.
The coastline of Phuket itself offers little for the experienced diver, although there are dive sites that can be used for training and which serve as a last resort during the off-season if bad weather prevents boats getting to the better offshore sites. These offshore sites are all to the south, and can ne 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.
Further south, the coastline at Krabi offers shallow fringing reefs around impressive limestone formations. Some of the best snorkeling sites in Thailand are to be found here. Offshore, the Phi Phi islands, with their palm-fringed beaches, have been growing in popularity as a dive base, with good visibility and a good variety of coral and fish; shallow fringing and patch reefs are an added attraction for snorkelers.
The most southerly dive sites in Thailand are around Koh Lanta. They feature pristine corals and spectacular fringing reefs in potentially excellent visibility. Here are some of the finest dive sites in Thailand, such as Hin Mouang, which features the deepest drop-off in Thailand, with depths in excess of 70 meters, and Hin Daeng, one of the few dive sites where schooling Grey Reef Sharks are frequently seen. The coastal waters of Koh Lipong remain one of the very few places where endangered Dugong can be seen in their natural habitat.
Other dive destinations in the Andeman Sea which are Koh Tarutao, just north of the Malaysian border, where Dugongs have also been seen and the Mergui Archipelago, the southern extension of which projects across territorial waters from Myanmar into Thailand: still little is known, scientifically or otherwise about this exciting diving areas.
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