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Myanmar And Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report March 2015

A Myanmar and the Similan Islands liveaboard is an excellent combination of greatest hits and exploratory diving, especially if you go to Myanmar’s justifiably famous Black Rock.

Manta Ray and diver, Koh Bon, Thailand
Manta Ray and diver, Koh Bon, Thailand © Chris Mitchell

No matter how long you’ve been using a camera, there’s always room for a schoolboy error – as I was humbled to discover recently while diving with Thailand Aggressor at Myanmar’s remote Black Rock. Three hours full steam from any other island in the Mergui Archipelago, Black Rock is one of South East Asia’s premier dive sites because it’s one of the few known places where giant oceanic manta rays gather in the region. We’d scheduled four dives here, and the first was uneventful, apart from finding a giant frogfish perched imperiously in full view on the coral debris at the base of the rock’s sheer limestone drop to 20 metres.

Frogfish, Black Rock, Myanmar
Frogfish, Black Rock, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

My camera was working fine and so at the beginning of our second dive, when I heard the frantic tank banging of our guide and looked up to see a truly huge manta heading straight towards me, I knew this was going to be The Shot. I raised the viewfinder to my eye, watched the manta fill the entire frame on my super wide-angle fisheye lens, hit the camera trigger… and nothing happened. I tried several times more until I realised the camera battery was as dead as my chance of getting the picture. Moral of the story – never leave the camera accidentally switched on between dives.

View from below, Myanmar
View from below, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

That particular disappointment aside, it was still a thrill to spend the day at Black Rock. Oceanic manta rays were only proven to be a separate species from reef manta rays in 2008 by marine scientist Andrea Marshall. Members of the Marine Megafauna Foundation, which Dr Marshall co-founded, visit Black Rock annually on their Ray Of Hope chartered liveaboard expedition to observe and identify the oceanic manta rays to add to their global database. (The BBC documentary Andrea: Queen Of Mantas gives a concise overview of the MMF’s work).


Juvenile whale shark, Black Rock, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

During the four dives, we saw several more mantas, all sadly too far away for me to get any memorable shots, but it was heartening to know they were still around in numbers. We even had a blink and you’d miss it encounter with a speeding juvenile whale shark, cleaving through the water below while we were just nearing the end of our dive, a retinue of cleaner fish struggling to keep up.

Diver and glassfish, Elephant Head Rock
Diver and glassfish in the big boulder canyon, Elephant Head Rock, Similan Islands © Chris Mitchell

Black Rock is the furthest north most Myanmar liveaboards explore – its isolation and distance from Mergui’s other, more southerly, dive sites mean you need to be on a solid, stable boat like the Thailand Aggressor in case weather conditions turn bad.

Myanmar and Thailand Dive Sites Map
Myanmar and Thailand Dive Sites Map © divehappy.com

During our 10 day trip, conditions in Myanmar seemed oddly better than neighbouring Thailand, where the trip began and ended – we had seas so flat calm you could see the clouds in the sky from under the water.

Coral Bommie and glassfish
Coral Bommie and glassfish, Similan Islands © Chris Mitchell

While Myanmar has opened up politically in the last couple of years and there has already been a huge influx of tourists and foreign investment, the Mergui archipelago – some 800 islands – remains one of South East Asia’s last great wilderness areas. There are still only a few liveaboard boats operating here, all crossing over from Thailand, and it’s rare not to have a dive site all to yourself. Much of the archipelago is still unexplored due to its sheer size, although sadly Burmese fishermen seem to have most areas well mapped out and some sites occasionally show evidence of dynamite bombing, using Mergui’s remoteness to easily evade detection.

Yellow snapper, Richelieu Rock
Yellow snapper, Richelieu Rock, Similan Islands © Chris Mitchell

Even so, it’s precisely this sense of mystery that gives Mergui much of its appeal, and the recent realisation of just how scientifically important sites like Black Rock are only increase speculation about What Else Is Out There.

Big boulder swimthrough with fan coral
Big boulder swimthrough with fan coral and glassfish, Elephant Head Rock, Similan Islands © Chris Mitchell

Mergui also has a slightly forbidding reputation – its water are generally greener and slightly colder than neighbouring Thailand, despite their proximity, although we had generally excellent viz during our time in Myanmar. Topographically, most of Mergui’s well-known dive sites are limestone islands, which have been shaped by the sea over centuries and provides a plethora of nooks and crannies for critters to find shelter.

Frogfish, Myanmar
Frogfish, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

There is a huge array of macro subjects waiting to be discovered here – almost immediately after entering the water at Rocky One we discovered an white and yellow ornate ghostpipe fish, right next door to a juvenile frogfish so well merged into the surrounding wall that it went un-noticed for several minutes until there was a yelp of recognition through someone’s regulator.

Cuttlefish, Myanmar
Cuttlefish, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

Three Islets is another happy hunting ground for small things, and after you’ve passed through the spectacular canyon swimthrough known as In Through The Out Door, you emerge with the surge onto a busy sloping reef where cuttlefish and devil scorpionfish await.

Popcorn shrimp, Myanmar
Popcorn shrimp, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

Much as I love small stuff, taking wide-angle photos is more my thing, and despite the manta debacle, Mergui provided several other great opportunities. Fan Forest Pinnacle is exactly that, with dozens of huge fan corals almost growing on top of each other, arranged in serried rows on the site’s slopes. Frog Rock was a real surprise, a collection of rocky outcrops thickly carpeted in a riot of soft corals – it was heartening to see the reef look so healthy and see the colours come alive in the morning light.

Swimthrough and fan corals, Myanmar
Swimthrough and fan corals, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

My favourite was The Archway at Crayfish Cave, a massive cathedral-like window carved out of the limestone with perfectly-placed fan corals at its base. The eponymous cave itself is also interesting – it’s actually a tunnel that runs from one side of the island to the other, around 3 metres wide and sloping up to the same above.

Diver inside Cocks Comb lagoon, Myanmar
Diver inside Cocks Comb lagoon, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

Perhaps Mergui’s best secret is at Cock Coombe island – you submerge about three metres or so near to a particular spot by the sheer cliff wall – and once down, realise that there’s a huge hole in the rock you can swim through. Once on the other side, you re-surface into a spectacular lagoon carved out inside the island, surrounded on all sides by its towering cliffs and so invisible from the outside world.

Tiered corpet of corals, Black Rock, Myanmar
Tiered corpet of corals, Black Rock, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

The liveaboard had already explored Thailand’s Similan Islands on the cruise up to the Myanmar border, and the difference between the islands and archipelago is quite dramatic given how near they are to each other. The Similans’ dive sites are characterised by big, smooth-sided boulders and sandy slopes – at sites like Christmas Point and North Point, the boulders provide epic canyons and swimthroughs amongst stones the size of houses, perfect for wide-angle, while on the slopes are numerous coral bommies that are teeming with glassfish and other life. Glassfish seemed to become a recurring motif for me on this trip, and I started getting a little bit obsessed with trying to capture their synchronised movement and how they caught the light.

Diver with octopus, Richelieu Rock, Thailand
Diver with octopus, Richelieu Rock, Thailand © Chris Mitchell

Crossing back over the border into Thailand on the way home, the nearest dive site in Thai waters to Myanmar is Richelieu Rock, itself a horseshoe-shaped limestone pinnacle far away from other islands and widely regarded as the country’s best dive site. The hundreds of resident schooling yellow snapper here make for great photos, and there is an abundance of other life both big and small that rewards multiple dives – the large octopus making its elastic way around the interior of the horseshoe was a real joy, while seahorses and harlequin shrimp were also found by eagle-eyed macro hunters.

Diver with orange soft corals, Myanmar
Diver with orange soft corals, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

Our final dive was at Koh Bon, Thailand’s most famous manta ray hotspot. This was where I’d seen my first ever manta ray, back in 2004, but in recent years their presence had become very hit and miss. However, during the 2013 – 14 dive season, there had been a huge resurgence of manta ray and whale shark sightings in the Similans, probably the best season in over a decade. We’d had no luck when we’d stopped off here on our way to Myanmar, and I felt a bit glum about our prospects now.

Sea snake amongst glassfish, Koh Bon
Sea snake amongst glassfish, Koh Bon © Chris Mitchell

Submerged on the huge limestone ridge that pointed out from Koh Bon’s sheer wall, there was no sign of any manta. I contented myself with bothering yet more glassfish, suddenly enlivened by a sea snake bursting through the middle of the shoal as it hunted across the reef.

Manta Ray, Koh Bon, Thailand
Manta Ray, Koh Bon, Thailand © Chris Mitchell

We were already doing our safety stop when there was a frenzy of tank banging and there, sweeping in with impossible grace across the ridge, glided a giant oceanic manta ray, at least four metres wide. Wishing I’d conserved my air better, I still managed to get a couple of shots as it stayed with us for a good ten minutes, wheeling around over the reef. There couldn’t really be a better end to the trip.

Soft corals, Myanmar
Soft corals, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

As a 10 day trip, the Myanmar – Similan Islands combination offers a great mix of contrasting environments, and there’s an excellent range of big and small stuff too. Mergui is likely to remain a niche destination for the foreseeable future simply because it requires a long cruise to get there – and also because there’s a hefty $200 USD Myanmar marine park fee on top of all the standard liveaboard costs. That won’t put me off though – I know I want to go back to Black Rock, and next time, I might even manage to avoid self-sabotaging my camera.

Soft corals, Myanmar
Soft corals, Myanmar © Chris Mitchell

A different version of this article was previously published in Underwater Photography magazine.

Similan Liveaboards Overview

  • Luxury Similan Island Liveaboards
  • Mid Range Similan Island Liveaboards
  • Budget Similan Island Liveaboards
  • Last Minute Liveaboard Deals
  • Diving The Similan Islands 2025: A Quick Guide
  • Similan Islands Dive Sites
  • Diving Thailand Guide

Upcoming Similan Liveaboard Availability and Pricing

Check availability and pricing for all Similan Islands liveaboards departing in

    October 2025 | November 2025 | December 2025 | January 2026 | February 2026 | March 2026 | April 2026

(The Similan National Park is closed from mid May to mid October each year)

Similan Liveaboards Trip Reports

Photos from each of the Similan liveaboard trips I've been on over the years.

  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report 9-13 February 2025
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report 21-25 November 2024
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report May 2024
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report 21 - 25 February 2024
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report 15 - 19 February 2024
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report December 2023
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report October 2023
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report April 2023
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report February 2023
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report December 2022
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report February 2020
  • Similan Islands and Myanmar Trip Report March 2015


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Start Planning Your Thailand Dive Trip Now!

:: Check the availability and pricing of liveaboards in Thailand and book online.


:: Find the cheapest flights to Thailand - Phuket (airport code: HKT) is the nearest airport for diving the Similan Islands. You can get direct international flights to Phuket or go via one of Bangkok's two airports - Suvarnabhumi (BKK), the main airport, or Don Mueang (DMK), the low cost carrier terminal.


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:: Need inspiration? See our Best Places To Dive In Thailand for ideas of where to go and what to do.


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Last Minute Liveaboard Deals

  • Last Minute Liveaboard Deals May 2025

All Similan Liveaboards

  • Budget Similan Islands Liveaboards 2025
  • Mid-Range Similan Islands Liveaboards 2025
  • Luxury Similan Islands Liveaboards 2025

Similan Liveaboard Reports 2025

  • Diving The Similan Islands 2025: A Quick Guide
  • Similan Liveaboard Trip Report 9-13 February 2025
  • Barracuda Tornado, Koh Tachai, Similan Islands February 2025
  • Manta Ray at Koh Bon, Similan Islands, February 2025
  • Jacks Tornado, Richelieu Rock, February 2025

Similan Liveaboard Reports 2024

  • Barracuda Tornado, Three Threes, Similan Islands, Thailand
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard 21-25 November 2024 Trip Report
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard 6 – 10 May 2024 Trip Report
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard 21 – 25 February 2024
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard 15-19 February 2024

Similan Liveaboard Reports 2023

  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report December 2023
  • Similan Liveaboard Trip Report October 2023
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard April 2023 Trip Report
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report February 2023

Similan Liveaboard Reports 2022

  • Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report December 2022
  • Similan Islands Liveaboard February 2020
  • Myanmar And Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report March 2015

Similan Islands DIve Sites

  • Similan Islands Dive Sites Overview
  • West Of Eden
  • Shark’s Fin Reef
  • Boulder City
  • Three Trees
  • Christmas Point
  • North Point
  • Hideaway Bay and Tuna Wreck
  • Koh Bon
  • Koh Bon Pinnacle
  • Ao Suthep, Surin Islands
  • Richelieu Rock

More Thailand Diving Stories

  • Thailand Aggressor Relaunches November 2024
  • Blue Dolphin Liveaboard Review
  • Diving Stonehenge, Koh Lipe, April 2022
  • Whale Shark At Hin Daeng April 2021
  • Diving HTMS Chang and Alahambra Rock
  • Thailand’s Best Dive Sites
  • Where To See Manta Rays In Thailand
  • Whale Sharks In Thailand: Where To See Them
  • Are There Great White Sharks In Thailand?
  • Koh Lanta Diving
  • Koh Tao: An Introduction
  • Diving The USS Lagarto Submarine – Richie Kohler interview
  • Cheap Scuba Diving In Asia
  • Thailand Diving Home

Dive Happy Podcast

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  • Dream Job: What’s It Like To Be A Marine Biologist?
  • Dumaguete Diving Podcast
  • Komodo Diving Podcast
  • Diving The Yonaguni Monument, Japan Podcast
  • Diving Koh Lanta Podcast
  • Moalboal Diving Podcast
  • Diving The Banda Sea Podcast: Part 2
  • Diving The Banda Sea Podcast: Part 1
  • Diving Hawaii Podcast
  • Diving Malapascua Podcast
  • Diving Taiwan Podcast
  • Diving Japan Podcast
  • Diving HTMS Chang And Alhambra Rock Podcast
  • Diving The WW2 Shipwrecks Of Coron Podcast
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  • Diving Romblon: the Philippines’ Secret Super Macro Paradise
  • Triton Bay Diving 2020 Podcast
  • Dream Job: Liveaboard Cruise Director Podcast
  • Diving Triton Bay Podcast
  • Diving Tubbataha Reef Podcast
  • Diving Yap Podcast
  • Diving Truk Lagoon Podcast
  • Diving Sogod Bay Podcast
  • Misool Eco Resort Podcast
  • Diving Palau Podcast
  • The Manta Rays Of Myanmar’s Black Rock Podcast
  • Diving Myanmar Podcast
  • Diving Bali Podcast
  • Diving Cenderawasih Bay Podcast
  • Diving Komodo Podcast
  • Diving Raja Ampat Podcast
  • Dive Happy Podcast Home Page

My Recent Dive Trips

  • November 2024: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • October 2024: Forgotten Islands and Banda Sea liveaboard, Indonesia
  • August 2024: Komodo and Saleh Bay liveaboard, Indonesia
  • May 2024: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • April 2024: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • February 2024: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • January 2024:Gangga Island Resort, Indonesia
  • December 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • Mejangan Island, Bali
  • October 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • June 2023: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • April 2023: Maldives liveaboard
  • April 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • February 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • December 2022: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • December 2022: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2022: Komodo liveaboard, Indonesia
  • June 2022: USAT Liberty shipwreck, Bali, Indonesia
  • April 2022: Stonehenge, Koh Lipe, Thailand
  • March 2022: Manta Rays at Koh Bon, Thailand
  • January 2022: Richelieu Rock liveaboard, Thailand
  • March 2021: HTMS Chang and Alahambra Rock liveaboard, Thailand
  • February 2020: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • December 2019: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2019: Malapascua, Philippines
  • June 2019: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • April 2019: Tulamben, Bali
  • December 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • December 2018: Anilao, Philippines
  • October 2018: Moalboal, Philippines
  • October 2018: Malapascua, Philippines
  • July 2018: Tulamben, Bali
  • May 2018: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • April 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines

My Less Recent Dive Trips

  • May 2017: Apo Island and Dumaguete, Philippines
  • April 2017: Tubbataha Reef, Philippines
  • April 2017: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • March 2017: Triton Bay, Indonesia
  • March 2017: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • September 2016: Tulamben, Bali at Alba Dive Resort
  • August 2016: Cenderawasih Bay on Damai 1
  • April 2016: Sogod Bay at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
  • February 2016: Raja Ampat and Banda Islands on Damai 1
  • April 2015: Anilao at Crystal Dive Resort
  • March 2015: Myanmar and Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • May 2013: Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • April 2013: Tubbataha Reef on Discovery Palawan
  • January 2013: Komodo, Indonesia on MSY Damai
  • August 2012: Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia
  • April 2012: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • January 2012: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2011: Hanifaru, Maldives
  • June 2011: Tubbataha Liveaboard Hans Christian Andersen
  • April 2011: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • April 2011: Carpe Vita Liveaboard, Maldives
  • March 2011: Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
  • December 2010: Menjangan, Bali
  • July 2010: Tofo, Mozambique
  • July 2010: Sardine Run, South Africa
  • May 2010: Sangalaki / Derawan, Tambora
  • March 2010: MV Flying Seahorse, Similan Islands
  • March 2010: MV Orion, Southern Maldives
  • January 2010: Big Blue Explorer, Palau
  • November 2009: MSY Damai, Banda Sea Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MSY Damai, Komodo Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MV Orion, Maldives Liveaboard
  • September 2009: MV Scubanet, Koh Losin, Thailand
  • May 2009: MSY Seahorse, Banda Sea liveaboard, Indonesia
  • March 2009: Sachika Liveaboard, Maldives
  • February 2009: Daytrips, Koh Lanta, Thailand
  • January 2009: MV Jazz, Burma (Myanmar) Liveaboard

Back In The Day Bragging Rights Dive Trips

  • November 2008: Borneo Explorer, Visayas Liveaboard
  • September 2008: S/Y Siren, Komodo Liveaboard
  • August 2008: Ocean Rover, Sulawesi Liveaboard
  • August 2008: NAD Lembeh Resort, Indonesia
  • June 2008: Koh Tao
  • March 2008: Maldives, Bandos Island
  • February 2008: MSY Seahorse, Raja Ampat Liveaboard
  • January 2008: MV Jazz, Burma Liveaboard
  • October 2007: Bali Dive Safari
  • September 2007: Davao, Philippines
  • July 2007: Great White Sharks, Rodney Fox Liveaboard
  • June 2007: Big Blue, Palau Liveaboard
  • May 2007: Whale Sharks at Exmouth, Australia
  • April 2007: Borneo Explorer, Tubbataha Reef Liveaboard
  • December 2006: Komodo Dancer, Komodo Liveaboard

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  • Diving The Similan Islands 2025: A Quick Guide
  • Similan Liveaboard Trip Report 9-13 February 2025
  • Barracuda Tornado, Koh Tachai, Similan Islands February 2025
  • Manta Ray at Koh Bon, Similan Islands, February 2025
  • Jacks Tornado, Richelieu Rock, February 2025