In October 2014, Fauna & Flora International published the assessment of 115 reef sites surveyed in the Mergui Archipelago between January 2013 and May 2014. Across all these surveys, the teams noted no sharks, rays, or turtles.
Our former page promised the opposite.
It announced nurse sharks, an entry permit costing 220 dollars, a specific boat with French-speaking guides, and an ideal season, without citing a single source. We have restarted the topic from scratch, beginning with the question that brochures avoid: can you go diving in southern Myanmar in 2026, and under what conditions?
Where is the Mergui Archipelago located and how can it be accessed?
The Mergui Archipelago, also called the Myeik Archipelago, consists of more than 800 islands in the Andaman Sea, off the Burmese region of Tanintharyi, according to the Fauna & Flora International report published in 2014. Diving cruises generally depart from the Thai side, from Ranong, then pass through Kawthaung, the Burmese town located just opposite.
This border crossing raises the first practical question.
The Myanmar fact sheet from France Diplomatie indicates that land borders are closed to foreigners, except for three crossing points including Ranong/Kawthaung. It specifies that these three points only allow day entries, without further detail. Yet a cruise in the Mergui lasts several days. How does the operator then handle the formalities, with which visa and entry document? Impossible to decide from here. Request the answer in writing before paying a deposit, with the date on which the operator has verified it themselves.
The entry permit costing 220 dollars per person has disappeared from this page because no official dated source confirming it was found and such fees vary from season to season depending on authorities and operators. Ask for the exact amount and what it covers.
What is the security situation in Myanmar for a diving trip?
All of Myanmar is at least in the orange zone, “not recommended except for imperative reasons,” on the France Diplomatie fact sheet updated April 5, 2024, and still valid as of July 23, 2024 (consulted October 3, 2026). The northern part of Tenasserim province, up to the city of Myeik, is even classified red, therefore formally not recommended.
The country has been under military rule since the coup d’état on February 1, 2021. The fact sheet describes a very unstable political situation. It also mentions martial law extended to many townships, curfews, and internet outages. The southern archipelago is not mentioned. But the orange zone covers the rest of the territory, and the southern islands are no exception.
Clear water says nothing about all this.
The fact sheet does not mention the archipelago nor diving, so it does not forbid the cruise, but an orange classification for the whole country remains a signal to weigh before booking leave and a deposit. If you are not traveling with a French passport, also consult your own country’s fact sheet. Then read the general conditions of your travel insurance and diving insurance. What they say about discouraged zones matters more than the photo of the boat.
What is the real state of the Mergui reefs?
The Fauna & Flora International report, based on 115 sites monitored between January 2013 and May 2014, describes very uneven reefs. Hard coral cover ranges from 0 to 92% depending on the sites, but the authors estimate the archipelago’s average at less than 30% once weak sites inspected by snorkeling are included.
The same surveys report that dynamite fishing is “still widespread” despite its official ban. Anchors have damaged several reefs. The Thawaythadangyi island group is the most affected. Giant clams are almost absent from the transects, and sea cucumbers remain very few. These data are over ten years old, and nothing indicates they still describe the sites in 2026.
For the fauna, the disturbing figure is summed up in one line: out of the 115 sites, no shark, ray, or turtle was noted during the surveys.
The Lampi group, declared a marine national park, is no exception to this observation. Its 15 sites show between 7.5 and 71% hard coral, a huge gap for a protected area. Thus, a protected status does not guarantee a reef in good condition. The lists on our old page (seahorses, nurse and bamboo sharks, giant sea fans) were not based on any source, so we removed them. It also presented North Twin and Black Rock as sites with “optimal visibility.” No visibility can be guaranteed, and good visibility says nothing about the current. With reefs already damaged by anchors, also remember why you should never touch marine life, even to stabilize yourself.
What season and level for a cruise in the Mergui?
No official dated source sets the diving season for the Mergui. Our old page mentioned October to April, with a peak from February to April and a “unusable” sea afterward. Take these months as an indicative general timeframe, to be confirmed with the operator scheduling the departures.
The southwest monsoon affects the Andaman Sea during summer, and it is this that practically closes the cruise season in this area, as in the Surin Islands, on the Thai side. Exact dates vary from year to year.
For what level? Our old page claimed that some spots were suitable for beginners. Nothing confirms this. A distant cruise changes the game for a beginner diver. Evacuation delay, presence of oxygen on board, location of the nearest hyperbaric chamber, and current on the pinnacles weigh more than your number of dives. And if the boat picks you up far from the dive point, knowing how to deploy a safety sausage becomes a basic skill.
Only the professional on site can judge if a site suits you.
What to check before booking a cruise in the Mergui?
Before any deposit, get five answers in writing: the required level, the expected current on the sites, the actual departure dates, the onboard supervision, and the fallback plan. An operator’s page that does not answer any of these questions does not give you enough to decide, even with beautiful photos.
| Point to check | Question to ask the operator |
|---|---|
| Level | What certification and how many dives do you require for this program? |
| Current | Which sites have currents, and what happens if a diver drifts? |
| Season | Which departure dates are confirmed this season? |
| Supervision | How many guides for how many divers, with oxygen on board? |
| Formalities | How is entry into Burma from Ranong done, with which document? |
| Fallback plan | What happens to the deposit and the program if the cruise is canceled? |
The fallback plan deserves some attention.
However, the Andaman Sea offers other options if Burma seems too exposed to you or if the departure is canceled. On the Thai side, you can look at the dive sites around Krabi, and on the Indian side the spots on Havelock Island in the Andamans. These destinations have their own constraints. Compare them with the same checklist. A fallback chosen before departure is better prepared than an improvised fallback on the Ranong dock.
The Moken, a nomadic sea people, live in the archipelago. If a village visit is on the program, ask who organizes it and what the community gains from it, rather than treating it as just another photo stop on the boat’s route.
In short, the real cost of a vague booking is counted in blocked deposits, wasted leave days, and insurance that may refuse to cover a discouraged area. Would you book it like that?
FAQ
Do you need a permit to dive in the Mergui Archipelago?
Entry fees are often mentioned, but we found no official dated source setting the amount. Ask the operator the exact price, what it covers, and how entry into Burma from Ranong is done.
Can you see sharks in the Mergui?
No one can promise that. During surveys conducted by Fauna & Flora International on 115 sites between 2013 and 2014, no sharks, rays, or turtles were recorded.
Is Myanmar not recommended for travelers?
According to France Diplomatie (updated sheet April 5, 2024, accessed October 3, 2026), the entire country is at least not recommended except for imperative reasons. The north of Tenasserim up to Myeik is strictly not recommended. Also check your country’s travel advisory and your insurance policy.
What is the best season to dive in the Mergui?
No official dated source sets a season. The months from October to April remain an indicative timeframe, to be confirmed with the operator, since the southwest monsoon closes the season during the summer.
Sources
- Travel Advice: Myanmar (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, 2024)
- Assessment of the Myeik Archipelago Coral Reef Ecosystem: ReefCheck Surveys January 2013 to May 2014 (Fauna & Flora International, 2014)
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