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Coastal, insular and marine Myanmar is nearly untouched in terms of their potential for underwater exploration. The only area that has been dived so far – and only since January 1997 – is a small portion of the Myeik Archipelago, a string of some 804 islands running more or less parallel to the coast of the coast of the 480km-long Myeik Peninsula.
Myeik Archipelago diving has so far been organized only as liveaboard dive cruises out of Phuket or Kawthoung. Reports say diving conditions are excellent. Many islands feature lofty limestone sea cliffs pockmarked with caves, some of which form extensive submarine networks or lead to enclosed tidal lagoons. The larger islands also contain mountainous, forested interiors with a considerable hiking potential to supplement diving activities.
Around a dozen big-league dive sites have so far been identified, from the so-called Burma Banks in the south (claimed by Myanmar but actually in international waters according to international maritime law) all the way to Tanintharyi Kyun (known to the British as Tenasserim Island) west of the port town of Myeik itself.
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