Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar Archives

Do You Want to See Amazing Photos of Underwater Life in Myanmar?

April 28, 2020 By Tam Warner 12 Comments

Amazing Underwater Life in Myanmar! In 2014 I traveled solo to dive the Mergui Archipelago, part of which is in Myanmar. For more on that adventure, check me out on Scubaverse at http://www.scubaverse.com/diving-the-mergui-archipelago/. There were some weather conditions that interupted the diving, but wherever one dives, there is always excitement and the thrill of discovery. I am currently planning another trip with The Smiling Seahorse on their brand new boat! Just waiting until coronavirus has a vaccine or when it is safe to travel. Here are photos of some of the amazing underwater life in Myanmar! [Read more…] about Do You Want to See Amazing Photos of Underwater Life in Myanmar?

Fab Photos Friday: Do you love Anemones?

June 4, 2015 By Tam Warner 3 Comments

Long fascinated by anemones, I take photos of them on almost every dive. Other photographers look at me like I’m crazy (probably am, I admit), but I think they are incredibly beautiful. Anemones are close relatives to corals and jellies. They have stinging polyps and spend most of their time hanging out on coral reefs waiting to take in the next prey. “Their bodies are composed of an adhesive pedal disc, or foot, a cylindrical body, and an array of tentacles surrounding a central mouth. The tentacles are triggered by the slightest touch, firing a harpoon-like filament into their victim and injecting a paralyzing neurotoxin. The helpless prey is then guided into the mouth by the tentacles.” (http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/sea-anemone/). I have seen them hitch rides on other creatures, and close up their body. You’ll often find crabs nearby, and anemone fish. There are over 1000 types of sea anemone, and obviously I have only seen a few, but take a look and see how lovely they are, and how deadly (but not to humans).

05 coz creatures march 05 anemone mouth — Beautiful Giant Anemone with mouth showing.

para 14 corkscrew anemone best — I LOVE Corkscrew Anemone. Cozumel.

coz cp 12 sun anemone — See the tiny blue Pederson shrimp lower right on this Sun Anemone?

10 sc 10 para anemone mouth and cleaner fish — Anemone mouth and tiny cleaner who is immune to the sting…or is he a goner?

10 sc 10 sr branching anemone goatfish — This is Branching Anemone.

07 isla anemone — Soft white anemone in Isla Mujeres, MX

coz 11 pnight anemone open - Copy (1)X — You can really see the texture on this Giant Anemone.

coz 10 jan fran knobby anemoneX — Knobby Anemone. Cozumel.

coz 10 jan cardona branching anemone2 — Branching anemone in Cozumel

coz 13 sr h anemone — See the tentacles folding within the body? Also look to the left….and at the next photo…

coz 13 sr hairy clinging crab and anemone — There’s usually a crab or a shrimp near an anemone! This is a Hairy Clinging Crab. Cozumel.

Magnificent Anemone in Thailand, Andaman Sea.

wr 14 caves humbug damsel in anemone — Humbug Damsels in Anemone

moz 12 ma clownfish best — Clownfish in anemone, Mozambique.

moz 12 giant id anemone and 3 spot humbugs juvenile — Huge anemone! In Mozambique

coz paradise night 09 hermit and anemones on board — FOUR anemones are hitch hiking on a Starry Eyed Hermit Crab! Not sure the anemones do anything to help the crab, though!

Fabulous Photos Friday: Under the Andaman Sea

May 30, 2014 By Tam Warner 10 Comments

I know this trip to the Andaman Sea off Thailand and Myanmar was just a few months ago, but I LOVE the photos. I just….love them! I’m putting unusual sea life photos on this photo entry. Enjoy your trip under the sea!

This is a colony of Feather Stars...so fascinating! — This is a colony of Feather Stars…so fascinating!

This sea urchin has a neon blue star pattern!

nr 14 sea star need id — Look at the pattern on this seastar! Perfect geometry.

Leaf fish are almost impossible to find!

Taken by my dive master, this Peacock Mantis could shatter an aquarium. Really.

bs 14 blue legged boxer shrimp2 — Blue Legged Boxer Shrimp. Put up your dukes! This guy is smaller than my pinkie though.

Here's another nudi! — Here’s another nudi!

Love those porcupinefish!!!! Pretty big one, 12-15 inches.

Ramose Murex...a mollusk. I had never seen one before, love the shell!111 — Ramose Murex…a mollusk. I had never seen one before, love the shell!

Last 2 dives: Boonsung Wreck, Similan Islands!

March 16, 2014 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

The Similan Islands are in Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. Getting back into Thailand was not nearly as difficult as getting into Myanar was. I did get off the boat and wander around Kawthaung, Myanmar a bit, but they have NO emission standards, and it didn’t take long to get sick off of the fumes from the cars and motorbikes. Also, Myanmar is not filled with tourists, and the sight of my blonde hair (I think it was the hair) created a stir. Many stares, and a few people followed me around, which made me a little nervous. I was even asked for my passport! (I didn’t have it, it was still in the immigration office!) Not to mention that it was so hot and humid I couldn’t stand it. I was ready to get back on the boat in half an hour!

Our last two dives of the trip were on the Boonsung Wreck. What a beautiful site! The wreck is a mess…spread out all over the place, but the fish and creatures living there are amazing! I really enjoyed these dives. The “schools” or shoals of fish were so thick you had to wave them away to take photos! I confess that one of my very favorite things to do is to sneak into a shoal and become one of them. They quickly form themselves around you, and you instantly have new friends!

The wreck had so much life! Shrimps, fish, eels, nudibranches, crabs….the list goes on. It was truly beautiful. Enjoy these photos!

Diving Myanmar: Western Rocky!

March 14, 2014 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Western Rocky is a great dive site, 40 nautical miles from Kawthaung, Myanmar. It consists of 2 or 3 dives, the Eagles Nest and the Cave. We had 3 dives on the site, and they were all terrific. Except for my dive group (of course) everyone saw a juvenile Whale Shark! 14 feet or so! Tommi, one of the Finn twins, took a lovely photo of it. I wish I had seen it, of course, but it looks like I am still searching for a dive experience with whale sharks. Even without seeing the Whale Shark, Western Rocky is a great dive site! Here are some of my awesome finds:

Banded coral shrimp (these are very small…maybe an inch, two at the most.

Big Red Octopus! He was fantastic...not afraid of me at all. — Big Red Octopus! He was fantastic…not afraid of me at all.

Adorable baby boxfish, just taking shape! cute, cute, cute!

A decorator crab...see the face in upper right? — A decorator crab…see the face in upper right?

Fimbriated Eel! — Fimbriated Eel with Durban Dancing Shrimp friends!

Fan Forest!

March 13, 2014 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

At last, a gorgeous dive site with somewhat decent visibility! We are now headed south because our ultimate destination, a dive site called Black Rock, is reportedly low visibility and strong current. So, heading south toward the Similan Islands and Thailand which means better visibility, which is fine by all of us!

Fan Forest! On toward Thailand!

Anemone Crab!

Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar

Subscribe to Blog via Email