AMAZING WALLS, BEAUTIFUL CORALS & INCREDIBLE MARINE LIFE!

Liveaboard trip 25/02 – 07/03 2009

Andaman Islands Safari

Mermaid I

So, this was our second time in Andaman Islands, India. Breathtaking walls, 60 meters visibility, beautiful corals, massive barrel sponges and fish galore.
We started off at Fish Rock, five hours south of Port Blair, the province capital. Dense schools of Oriental Sweetlips, Bumphead Parrotfish, Giant Trevallies and the first of the many Manta Rays we would encounter.

Leaving for the open ocean, we spent the following day at Invisible Bank, a huge sand bank emerging from over 1.000 meters of depth. Actually, at low tide it’s not all that invisible, since you can see a huge flat rock (suitably named ”Flat Rock”) protruding out off the water. We saw huge Nursesharks, Grey Reefs and Whitetip Sharks frolicking among the dramatic rock formations here.

Approaching Barren Island, we realized that this volcano was quite active at the moment, spurting clouds of black smoke, creating a spectacular backdrop to our dives. Loads of Bumpheads, Grey Reef Sharks and Mantas accompanied us as we were exploring these completely vertical walls.

Heading further north up to Narcondam Island, another, though less active, volcano, we could enjoy massive schools of Big-eye Trevallies, stunning corals and more of our big flappy friends. Underwater topography here is more diverse than Barren Island, with walls, pinnacles, sloping reefs and bubbles coming up from the black lava sand (so the volcano might not be quite dead yet...).

The Andaman Islands are not known for an abundance of Nudibranchs (rather the opposite, as a matter of fact...). Nevertheless, the eagle-eyed dive team of Mermaid 1 managed to pin down no fewer than 49 (yes folks, forty-nine!) different species, including some really special ones like the Psychedelic Sagaminopteron, the Pilsbry’s Philinopsis and the Möbius’ Thuridilla.

We rounded the trip off with beautiful dives at Campbell Shoal and South Button. Absolutely packed with Butterflyfish, Snappers and Batfish as well as big Green Turtles, Crocodilefish and the very special Indian Ocean Spinecheek Anemonefish.

After a visit to the famous beach at Havelock Island, it was time for us to head back to port. But we’ll be back again next year!

PJ Widestrand

Video-Pro
Mermaid I

Liveaboard diving Thailand, Myanmar, Bali - Komodo and the Andaman Islands.