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SAILING AMONG BURMA'S ISLANDSIn the waters of Myanmar there is an archipelago that only now starts to open up to limited tourism: Mergui, ancient port of pirates and adventurers, is the name of the archipelago formed by approximately eight hundred islands, islets, rocks, green forests with white coral beaches. The sea is particularly rich and it has emerald green colors Text and photographs by Luca Sonnino Sorisio Nautica Magazine 433, Maggio 1998 |
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MERGUI, GREEN ARCHIPELAGO
"Where the heck is the Mergui Archipelago?" I asked a friend of
mine who was telling me about these islands, after his trip to
Thailand. He told me that Burma had authorized some boats to sail
in the waters of the beautiful and lonely archipelago, right above
the border with Thailand, just a few months ago. Moved by
curiosity - how could it be that unknown and wild islands still
existed in this world? - I looked up in the atlas. Yes, it is
true, there are many islands south of Burma's coastline; I was
puzzled by the fact that I had not yet discovered them during my
daydreaming when looking at maps. Then I find out why: since its
independence in 1948, Burma remained isolated by its own political
regime and since then very few obtained the visitor's visa. Today,
Burma's new name is Myanmar: it is gradually opening up to tourism
and the Mergui Archipelago, that has been a forbidden area for
decades, is being visited by the first few sailing boats. Credit
for this new destination is to be given to an agency in Phuket,
the "South East Asia Liveaboards" that has negotiated for three
years with Burmese authorities in order to obtain the
authorization to sail in the archipelago.
A quick search on the World Wide Web and the web page of the agency appears on the screen (www.seadivers.com), with detailed information on the islands, the cruises and the boats.
The Archipelago is formed by eight hundred islands, isles and rocks disseminated on a surface of 11 square miles. Most of the islands are covered with thick forests and white coral beaches and are deserted. The only dwellers are the Moken tribes, the wanderers of the Andaman Sea who live most of the year on their boats but are not fishermen: during the rainy season they live on land and live on subsistence crops. They collect mollusks, sea urchins and the fish that are trapped in the coral reef during the low tide. They dry seaweed and sell them to Chinese in exchange for merchandise and opium, which they smoke mixed with dry banana leaves with a water pipe that they pass to each other.
Nautica chose the first boat. Below is the description of a cruise on board the "Crescent" as reported in the logbook. 1st day
While the agency's representatives carry out the customs formalities, we anxiously go on board waiting to start sailing toward our first destination, the Island of St. Matthews. After twenty-three miles, we arrive in the middle of the night and we drop the anchor. From here we will sail the other 17 miles to reach Western Rocky Island. 2nd day
3rd day
4th day
We dive near the highest rock and swim around it. The sea is more transparent than usual and a dozen of squids swim over our heads. On the seabed there are several stingrays. Gauguin gorgonias (Melithaea Squamata) lushly grow on the rocks. Horrible sight: few days ago, poachers threw a bomb in a small trench and now a layer of dead fish, including several barracuda, covers the seabed. Human foolishness has no limits: a massacre is perpetrated in order to easily collect a handful of fish when they come afloat or when diving with a mask. This absurd type of fishing that destroys whatever there is in the surroundings without differentiating between the fish species cannot be justified in any way. It is too easy to explain this behavior by saying that fishermen have to feed their children. In this way the future is not guaranteed. Sad and embittered we swim towards the end of the canyon where there is a cave with gray sharks that instantly disappear. The cave becomes smaller and I swim through the passage and across the rock, but when I find cloudier water on the other side I return to where I came from. Back in the canyon, schools of different fish and of barracuda surround me and move continuously: they open up in a circle, close down and change direction or mix with others and then divide again as if they were playing an endless game. These past days the water has been both cloudy and clear, both cold and warm: it is very strange for it is not the normal trend of the water in this area. Even in the Similan Islands that are further away, the water current does not have the usual pattern. Everyone blames El Niño for all abnormal occurrences on the planet. In this case an "up-welling" might have occurred, that is, deep ocean water, cold and rich in nutrients, has come to the surface generating and exceptional growth of phytoplankton and of filamentary algae like the ones that sometimes invade the Red Sea and after which it is named. Today we found the reddish stripes that I had seen in Sudan and that are caused by great concentrations of these algae. What might have caused the rising of deep seawater? Is it an unusual or a common phenomenon? Is it linked to El Niño? For now, all these theories and questions have no answer. A fishing boat is moored near the "Crescent". There are four fishermen on the 20-foot boat; it took them one week to sail from Kawthoung to here. During their five-day stay they fish with fishing nets and traps. In the holds there are groupers and other typical coral reef fish. They feed on the dry filets of ray and of shark that are hanging all over the boat and which they also sell at the Kawthoung market. In the late afternoon, we head towards Black Rock on a sea full of transparent and violet jellyfish with long tentacles. We should sail all night except for a few hours, when we will rest in a bay of Clara Island. 5th day
This area is renowned for its sharks and abundant fish. Unfortunately its fame stroke a fatal blow to its fauna: few days ago, this area too was bombarded with dynamite. The sight is chilling and gloomy: dead fish cover the seabed. After three dives we plunge into sadness. This sight reminds me of the scene of the movie "Dances with wolves" when, during their migrations, the Sioux find dozens of dead skinned buffaloes left to rot in the prairie. What a waste! What a massacre for just a few fish! Maybe the main preys were the sharks for we have not seen any and yet there is ample food for them. Notwithstanding the bombs, the rocks and the walls are full of gorgonias, of other sea flora and there are still many fish. We found cuttlefish, two octopuses in love, schools of barracuda, colored nudibranchiates, several moray eels and a rare mantis shrimp. We head toward Little Torres, where we will spend the night at anchor. At sunset, the dolphins approach the boat and start playing under the bow, thus creating marvelous light effects due to the bioluminescence, the wonderful light that some types of plankton produce when stimulated. I had seen the same effect at the Galapagos Islands but whenever I see this incredible and surreal scene it strikes me: the profile of the cetaceans flowing together with the boat shines in the dark and they produce a shining wake. They play by crossing each other's trail in a joyful zigzag. They look like ghosts.it is unforgettable. 6th day
In the forests of the archipelago there are several animals. Elephants often swim from one island to the other. Years ago, someone saw an elephant going from Lampi island to the coast, by swimming two sections of five miles. They do not do it spontaneously, they are forced by their owners who take them to work on moving cut down trees. Even a Sumatra rhino (Didemocerus sumatrensis), found in some islands, was seen swimming for twenty miles, up to High Island. The tigers are found in the islands nearer to the coast because they walk on muddy shores during the low tide. In the afternoon, we explore an area that surrounds some rocks in the northern part of the island. The visibility is quite bad but the place is interesting. There are enormous granite rocks that form a jungle of caves and small gorges full of life. There are many shells and nudibranchiates: I find a perfectly camouflaged cowrie (Phenacovolva rosea) on an orange gorgonia and a rare white nudibranchiate (Phyllodesmium magnum) under a rock, displaying strange outgrowths that move with the current. Inside a cave, a scorpion fish lays on a fan-like coral and it is camouflaged with the same colors of its temporary hammock. After our dive, we return to the bay where we rest before heading southward. This is the northernmost spot of our tour: instead of going toward Mergui port as scheduled, where we should have flown to Kawthoung, we return to our point of departure due to the cancellation of our flight. In the calm waters of the bay, we see some rays flying out of the water and spinning under our bow. Now it is easier for me to believe in the mysterious and rare flying jumps of the manta ray. 7th day
8th day We hoist the sails and head toward McCarthy Island and Stewart Island, where we dive in the two southern tips. The seabed is multicolored. In a cave we find a shark that is over 13 feet long. We anchor in a bay of Mc Carthy for the last time, before starting our last night crossing toward Kawthoung. On the rocks, in front of the beach, three long white flags, left by some fishermen, flutter in the wind. Maybe they were put to reserve a fishing area, or maybe for religious reasons. who knows. USEFUL INFORMATION
The trip The fastest and most practical way to reach Phuket is by flying with Thai airline, the Thai national airline. The bus for Ranong, on the border, leaves from the diving center of South East Asia Liveaboards. Arrival in Kawthoung, Myanmar, is scheduled five hours later. Here, depending on the type of cruise, you may board either on the "Crescent" or on the "Gaea". For weekly cruises on the "Crescent" between Kawthoung and Mergui, there is a flight departing from Mergui every two weeks. The "Crescent" cruise includes three dives per day along the most exposed area of the Archipelago, touching South and North Twin Island, Black Rock, Little and Great Western Torres Island, Fletcher Island, Hayes Island, West and East Islet, Mackenzie Island, Sergeant Island, Elfinstone Island, Blundell e Tenasserim Island, Cabusa Island. The boats
The Visa The agency requires the entry visa for Burma. It is advisable to send a photocopy of the passport to the agency before departure so that the necessary documents may be prepared. Take along four photographs and two photocopies of the passport. The cost of the visa is approximately USD 120. The climate
What to wear and what to bring Light clothing is advisable. It is important to know the water temperature before travelling. Depending on the year (as this year for example) wetsuit thickness should be 5/8". Electrical accessories such as flashes may be recharged on board with 110V current.
South East Asia Liveaboards |
Mergui was an important seaport between the 15th and 17th
centuries. Buccaneers, bandits, merchants and adventurers
originating form China, India and the Persian Gulf often stopped
there. In fact, it was the point of arrival and departure of
caravans that crossed the thin strip of land in Siam, the shortest
route between the Indian Ocean and the Chinese Sea. The harbor,
hard-fought by Siam and Burma was destroyed in 1760 and decline
and abandonment followed thereafter. The Archipelago was also
abandoned and since 1826, under British rule, it was deserted and
wild, except for isolated raids for pearls or timber.
Moken are expert seamen: their boats are stable, light and capable
of carrying several families and of standing against the storms of
the Indian Ocean. Their boats are between 23 and 33 feet long, 5
feet wide and are built with different types of wood - such as
palm wood - and no nails.
The boats of the "South East Asia Liveaboards" that sail in the
Archipelago are the "Crescent" and the "Gaea". The "Crescent is a
60-foot ketch for ten passengers with four cabins and is ideal for
diving cruises. The "Gaea" is a 51-foot trimaran for eight
passengers with four cabins and it is used for sailing around the
islands with one daily dive.
We leave from Phuket Island with a van in the early morning and
drive for five hours toward the Burmese border on a road that has
tarmac sections and gravel sections that are being renovated. In a
few months works should be finished unless the road is damaged due
to pouring rains. Along the road there are forests and patches of
rubber tree plantations. In the afternoon we arrive at Ranong, on
the border and on the southern coast of the fjord that separates
Burma from Thailand. After crossing customs, we board on some
long-tail boats, the typical thin and slender boats with the open-
air propeller shaft connected to the engine that cross most Thai
rivers. We disentangle ourselves from the other boats and from the
long menacing propeller shaft and after twenty minutes of
deafening navigation in the fjord we reach Kawthoung, on the
Burmese coast, where the "Crescent" is waiting for us.
First dive: the first 50 feet of water are cloudy but after it is
clearer. There is little light because it remains trapped by the
plankton in the surface layer of water. An enormous school of
different fish covers the rocks. At the end of a long cave, full
of lobsters, there are two sharks and nearby, in another cave,
some stingrays slide across the compact wall of small fish that
are disturbed by barracuda and small tunas. The coral reef
contains red and orange corals and gorgonias. We sail at night so
that during the day we have more time for diving. The captain uses
the automatic pilot, the GPS and the radar at night. He chooses
the waypoint on the GPS and on the British Admiralty Chart n. 216
(1:300.000); he looks for rocks and adjusts the heading on the
automatic pilot (it is not interfaced with the GPS). When our
course differs from the course indicated by the satellites, it has
to be corrected. The plotter is useless. The radar is used to
check the presence of other boats or ships on our course. Floating
pieces of woods, barrels or wrecks may pose a problem but the
captain assures us that with a bit of good luck and low speed - 6
knots - we will not have any damage.
We arrive in Silvertip Reef, a plateau in Western Burmese waters,
at 55-65 feet below sea level. We sailed up to here to check
whether the water conditions are better. We dive three times on
the same spot: there are three white-fin sharks (Charcharinus
Albimarginatus) that swim around us. The seabed is nothing
special. With the macro lens I take a photograph of a trumpet fish
that tries to unsuccessfully hide behind some corals. Around 2
p.m., a small whale (Balaenoptera Physalus) swims near the bow of
the boat and revives up the atmosphere. The ocean is calm, a light
breeze is blowing and there is some current. I have not yet
understood how the current works here, whether it is influenced by
the tide or by the monsoon. Most probably it is a combination of
both and this makes it difficult to anticipate it. Big show at
dinnertime: the lamps that lighten the table and that break the
darkness of the Andaman Sea, attract the plankton which is
devoured by the flying fish which in turn are followed by bigger
fish causing a big confusion. At times, the water boils and we
hear the noise of the fish clashing against the boat's topsides.
Again we cruise at night toward North Twin Island. Here we dive in
a bank on the western coast where the water is very troubled. It
is a pity, because the seabed is beautiful. The coral grows on
granite rocks, together with gorgonia and other seaflora. Here we
see a shark and some stingrays, one of these rays is enormous and
it is almost as big as a manta. A school of fish - maybe thirty or
more, approximately five feet long - approach me. They look like
sharks but I cannot distinguish them. They are not tunas because
they are thinner and they seem to have some strays on the sides.
Who knows! Cloudy water confuses my sight! After two hours of
sailing we approach some nameless rocks that are famous for a
diving spot called "in through the out door" because of a cave
that has two openings on the two sides of the same rock.
After dawn we arrive at Black Rock, a dark rock spike that rises
from not so deep waters.
We start our day with a dive in Northeast Little Torres, on a
shoal that extends from a rock: here we find muddy waters. For
lunch we anchor in a nice bay of Great Western Torres, where I go
for a walk on land. The forest is very thick: it is impossible to
open one's way without a machete. Ferns cover all surfaces that
are not covered by branches and shrubs, there are tree trunks that
are more than 30 feet high. The granite rocks are dark and
polished. I hear very strange sounds coming from the deep forest;
some bird cries are so loud that they sound like electrical
alarms. I noticed the tracks of monkeys on the sand and most
probably they also contribute to the sound track.
We see the rocks that are three miles north of the island of Great
Swinton again, where there is the "in through the out door" rock
with the sharks. As usual schools of fish screen the sunlight:
there are many barracuda, king-fish, gray sharks and stingrays.
The dead fish that were blasted off disappeared, only some bones
remain. When we return to the surface we are surprised to see
approximately fifteen Burmese fishing boats that are folding their
nets. According to a Burmese law, commercial fishing is forbidden
below the 11th parallel - here we are further south. These
fishermen not only do not care a less about the law, but they also
use bombs. I wonder whether something will be left here in a few
years. Here, like elsewhere, the laws exist but are not enforced.
A 100-foot multi-colored pinnacle full of corals is the beautiful
scenery of our next dive. Later we anchor in the southern part of
Great Swinton Island and we find a group of fishermen on the beach
that are cooking holothurians in two big pans. They are very young
and thanks to our Burmese interpreter, we understand that they are
specialized in fishing these animals that are later dried and that
are highly prized on the Chinese market. At sunset we go for a
tour on the inflatable. We stay in the bay for the night. In the
dark blue sky, the stars shine but the dark sea shines even more.
Anywhere in the bay and even under our boat there are millions of
tiny sparkles. The sea is so rich in plankton and so rich in life
that a spray of water lights it up.
The "Crescent" is a 60-foot ketch with four cabins for 10
passengers and it is used for diving cruises. The double cabins
are very comfortable; the fore cabin has four overlapped berths
that are not as comfortable especially if much personal equipment
is carried along. The "Gaea" is a 51-foot trimaran, with four
cabins for eight passengers. Cruises include sailing, island
discovery and one daily dive.
Onboard the "Crescent", the compressor is fitted aft where all
diving equipment is stored. This area is also used as starting
point for all dives.
The best season for cruising the archipelago goes from October to
May. The water is calm and the average air and water temperature
is approximately 82 F. In the rainy season the sea conditions
worsen and sailing in exposed areas, where there are the best
diving spots, is not possible. In the wet south-west monsoon
season, the "Crescent" stays in Sulawesi.
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