Trip Report - The Smiling Seahorse Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar)

[Barmaglot]

Thank you for your report and photos. IMO, diving Myanmar is problematic on several levels and from what you report seeing (and your great photos), there doesn't seem to be anything unique to the marine life to over-ride such concerns (and nets and full fish traps I can do without).

It's not exactly unique, but it's kinda like Richelieu Rock all over, and without the massive crowds. Last time I was at Richelieu, there were IIRC nine boats alongside ours, each disgorging swarms of divers - in Mergui, The Smiling Seahorse is literally the only dive boat running trips this season. Next season a few more are expected, but still, I imagine encountering even one other dive boat will be a major event, as opposed to the heavy traffic in Thailand.

 

[Centrals]

It's not exactly unique, but it's kinda like Richelieu Rock all over, and without the massive crowds. Last time I was at Richelieu, there were IIRC nine boats alongside ours, each disgorging swarms of divers - in Mergui, The Smiling Seahorse is literally the only dive boat running trips this season. Next season a few more are expected, but still, I imagine encountering even one other dive boat will be a major event, as opposed to the heavy traffic in Thailand.

No other diving boat!!!!! It won't happen in Phuket.

 

[Barmaglot]

No other diving boat!!!!! It won't happen in Phuket.

Well, Kata Beach is reasonably uncrowded, at least it was last time I was there. Still, it can't be denied that diving traffic in Thailand is quite heavy, especially at the better sites like Richelieu Rock, Hin Daeng/Hin Muang or Stonehenge. I kinda miss COVID that way - in January 2022, I spent three and a half days at Richelieu Rock with the Smiling Seahorse, seeing just one other liveboard and a small yacht in that period, each coming for maybe a couple dives.

 

[Centrals]

Heavy diving traffic.
28m tourists visited the Kingdom last year.

 

[JonnieB]

It's not exactly unique, but it's kinda like Richelieu Rock all over, and without the massive crowds. Last time I was at Richelieu, there were IIRC nine boats alongside ours, each disgorging swarms of divers - in Mergui, The Smiling Seahorse is literally the only dive boat running trips this season. Next season a few more are expected, but still, I imagine encountering even one other dive boat will be a major event, as opposed to the heavy traffic in Thailand.

The lack of other boats is certainly a positive point, compared to the boat/diver scrum at any of the Thai north Andaman dive sites.

 

[Barmaglot]

By the way, I forgot to mention, but if you're a certified solo diver and have all the required gear (i.e. redundant air supply, two computers, two SMBs, cutting tools, etc), The Smiling Seahorse allows solo diving - you can head off into the wild blue yonder and not see anyone for an hour. I believe pony bottles are available for rent. If you're with a buddy, you are not obligated to stick with a group either - you splash down with the group, but then, if you're so inclined, you can make your own path, just stick to the 60 minute dive time.

 

[Centrals]

Well, Kata Beach is reasonably uncrowded, at least it was last time I was there.

Mind that sting: Phuket tourists warned against jellyfish terror

Tourists in Phuket have been warned to look out for poisonous jellyfish at more than 20 sites around the island.

www.nationthailand.com

30 REPORTED cases in one week!!! How about reported cases? Tens of thousands? Possible.

This could be the reason why tourists stay away from Kata Beach..

 

[passeparici]

With what is happening in Myanmar now I will never give a cent to this government ! Even if the dives are nice and less crowded. They kill, torture, arrest their citizen : my pleasure diving is not worth me supporting them...

 

[Happy Scuba Susan]

While this was my tenth trip on The Smiling Seahorse over the past four seasons, it was the first to Myanmar, so I figured I'd share some of the peculiarities of this particular route.

The Smiling Seahorse is a liveaboard, designed and operated by a French couple, Franck and Camille, built in Thailand some six years ago. It hosts up to sixteen guests per trip, and before COVID, used to run almost exclusively on the Myanmar routes, but when the epidemic forced border closures they had to switch to Thailand, going up and down Andaman Sea from Ranong and Richelieu Rock in the north, to Koh Lipe area in the south. Fortunately, this year, the border has reopened, albeit with some complications, so the Myanmar trips are once again on the itinerary.

Entering Myanmar requires a visa, which can be obtained online, but the process is somewhat involved. First you're required to purchase insurance, costing US$50 for a 15-day period. After that, you have to fill out a lengthy series of forms on a Myanmar government website, including your full travel itinerary, with flights in and out of Thailand, your accommodations in both Thailand and Myanmar, and a bunch of other stuff. The form is not set up for a 'liveaboard boat' accommodation, but The Smiling Seahorse staff assist with that by providing a hotel booking that is satisfactory to Myanmar officials. Finally, there is a visa fee of another US$50, payable online by credit card. This process is performed 2-3 weeks before departure, although in my case, it took some 26 hours from form submission to visa issuance. There is also an additional charge of US$230 per person for the purpose of diving permits - this can only be paid in cash, using completely unblemished bills. It isn't a national park fee like you'd pay in Thailand as there is absolutely no wildlife protection in the area in question (more on that later) so as I understand it, this is just some Burmese officials lining their pockets to the tune of $3k+ per trip - not an insubstantial sum in Myanmar - but, eh, their country, their rules.

In any case, after checking in at The Smiling Seahorse office in central Ranong, we proceeded, as a group, to the Thai immigration office nearby, where our passports were stamped with Thailand exit visas, and we continued on to the boat, which sailed out to Kawthoung on the Myanmar side of the border. A bunch of local officials came on board and spent some time going over the documents, but then we had to moor at a local pier (which seemed to be made entirely of rust held together with some paint) and come ashore for some face time with a clerk behind a counter in a rickety shack. With the formalities over - and our passports held by the local immigration for the duration - we set off for the overnight transit to Mergui Archipelago.

For the first couple days, I was shooting macro - luckily, I was in the group guided by Camille, who is the best small-critter spotter that I've ever encountered; if it's there, she will find it. We did encounter a large nurse shark that was resting in a cave, but I wasn't in the position for any photos.

We had a medical emergency on the first day - one of the divers suffered a pulmonary embolism, so the boat had to abort the sunset/night dive and go back to land to drop him off for medical care. Fortunately, as I heard at the end of the trip, he made a full recovery.

A night dive at Square Rock yielded a plethora of subjects, including half a dozen different seahorses, a blotched ray and a pair of bamboo sharks.

(bumped into 10 images/message limit, continuing in next post)

Thanks for this great trip report. Was just trying to decide about doing this trip, and your information was very valuable!

 

[poifromthebag]

Thank you for the trip report @Barmaglot! I'm also considering booking it.