A largely unexplored area - The Burma Banks:

The Burma Banks are a series of large underwater flat-topped sea-mounts that lie approximately 180 kilometers (100 nautical miles) northwest of the Similan Islands. The Banks' surrounding waters are over 350 meters deep and large areas rise to within the depth limits of recreational scuba diving. The name derives from the fact that this 1,500 square kilometer area lies within the exclusive economic zone of Burma. The Banks offer some exciting, stimulating diving, but since this is true open-ocean diving, they certainly are not for everyone.

These mountains rise very gradually from the depths and are covered with hard coral growth and large patches of sand. Although the huge plate corals (some of these 'plates' could seat all the knights of the round table easily) are in many areas fantastic, that is not the reason for travelling so far out to sea. After all, the Similan and the islands north of them boast of some of the loveliest coral in the world. No, the reason for diving all the way out here is for what the Similan don't have: Big animals, and that means big sharks as well.

Close shark encounters are virtually guarantied here. The most common type of shark is the nurse shark that grows to over 3 meters in length. Where else can you go to see tens of large nurse sharks freely swimming nose-to-tail over the top of the reef on every dive, which have so little fear of divers that they sometimes accidentally swim harmlessly (for both parties) into us? They are truly the clowns of the banks as it is difficult not to laugh at their frenzied movements. Not enough? How about large silver tip sharks that when attracted by bait swim within range of your Nikon's 15 mm lens?

If the nurse sharks are the clowns, then the silver tips are the stars. Reaching an impressive length of two to three meters, these sharks -- often compared to the Galapagos shark and easily identified by the white trailing edge on their pelvic, dorsal, and caudal fins -- are full-bodied, serious predators. Although cautious by nature, and certainly not aggressive towards divers, these sharks are spotted on virtually every dive. And these days, all three of the diving companies that visit the banks feature a controlled shark attraction by placing fish in the water down current from all divers, baiting the sharks in for an up-close, personal look.

These attractions offer the opportunity to photograph these silver tips and nurse sharks, with the occasional tiger or hammer head making an appearance. In addition, you'll see larger reef fish than in other areas of Thailand, such as huge sweet lips and the occasional grouper.

The most common diving technique at the banks are large drift dives over the mountain flats. Currents can be quite tricky here sometimes changing in direction 90 to 180 degree very quickly - and very fast. It is common to drift over one kilometer on certain dives - assuming the current is taking you in the direction you originally planned! Although these vary slightly from operator to operator, it is roughly agreed that all divers must dive with a 'safety sausage', a whistle or other signaling device, and that either the dingy or the larger vessel should follow the diver's bubbles on the surface. Finally, it is a must that buddy pairs stay together at all times, and in fact some operators insist that divers dive in a group of at least four. To become separated from your dive boat this far from land would surely be a disaster.

Mergui Archipelago

Just north of the Surin Islands, an imaginary line divides Thai waters from Myanmar's Mergui Archipelago. Also known as the Myeik (Burma) Archipelago, this immense area covers approximately 36,000 sp km (14,000 sq miles) and included roughly 800 islands. Diving here is still in its infancy, as the entire region has been off-limits to outsiders since the late 1940s. After several years of negotiation by Phuket dive operators, the archipelago was opened for tourism in 1997, yet much of the area remains unexplored.

The islands are similar to their Thai counterparts, with rugged, high-profile limestone and granite topography. One obvious difference, aside from the sheer number of Myanmar( Burma) islands, is their unspoiled terrestrial scenery. Dense brush and rainforest cover most areas above the high-tide line, while vast stretches of mangroves and magnificent white-sand beaches are interspersed with rocky headlands, tidal creeks and a few freshwater rivers. Though several of the larger islands are home to small communities of Moken 'sea gypsies,' the vast majority are uninhabited and largely untouched by humans.

Underwater, this region offers scenic reefs, fascinating topography and prolific fish and invertebrate life. One of the main attractions for divers is the strong possibility of seeing big animals, especially sharks and rays. More dependable, however, is the tremendous variety of smaller fish and reef creatures, including many unusual species, some of which are rarely encountered in Thai waters. Add to this the allure of diving where few people have before and you've got all the ingredients for a top-notch dive destination. Considering the vast number of islands and reefs, many more dive sites are undoubtedly waiting to be discovered.

The diving here has tremendous potential, yet serious environmental problems threaten the reefs. Trawling and long line fishing have put heavy pressure on fish populations and the marine habitat in general, but the biggest threat is blast fishing with dynamite, which Myanmar (Burma) has done little to discourage. You are likely to hear bombs go off at least once during a multi-day trip anywhere in the archipelago. Virtually all Mergui sites show at least some evidence of blast fishing, from craters of broken coral to piles of orange cup corals and even huge chunks of rock that have been blasted off vertical walls.

Despite the environmental threats, the diving in the Mergui is still excellent. Even at sites that are bombed regularly, soft corals, anemones and gorgonian fans usually survive undamaged, as do nudibranch, cuttlefish, octopuses and other invertebrates. Fish that lack swim bladders (like sharks, rays and moray eels) also seem unaffected, unless the explosion is very close. Also, since many fish move from reef to reef, new fish seem to show up all the time.

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