It was mid March and I was sailing towards the Burma Banks, an area in the middle of nowhere not far from Myanmar. The area has been opened and closed to tourists now and again by the Burmese authorities. It seems that now things are getting better as the operators in Puket are increasing in numbers and are usually fully booked. It also means that more and more divers are going there and I bet things have changed already. As sharks are shy animals they might retreat to some other areas. Worst yet the increasingly common practice of shark feeding will likely change their behavior. I heard of areas in Maldives where sharks have become more daring and aggressive toward man as they now see a diver as food. Smart ass.
Burma Banks holds an incredible charm, and still ranks as one of my fondest memories. We sailed during the night and as I woke up I found myself surrounded by nothing, no land in sight, no boats around. It was dawn, the sky was violet and the water flat and silver like a blade, quite a bone-chilling feeling actually. Some of the Banks are as large as a football court and the top lies at about -18/20 meters, everywhere else it drops God knows to what depth. The current was incredibly strong and the transparency of the water terrific. From the boat you could easily observe the top of the bank and you could also notice something elegantly swimming around as if there was no current at all: sharks, plenty of it. A F1-like current won't give you any second chance so you dive as soon as you hit the water and reach out for the bottom as fast as you can. Down there the current gets milder and one could easily swim his way around.
The top of the bank was a shark parade, agile white tips and huge nurse sharks. The white tips were mostly young ones between 80 and 120 cm. in length. I read once that sharks' nurseries are often in the shallow as adult sharks might find the young and inexperienced ones too much of an irresistible breakfast. Probably was the case, however after a while few large gray sharks appeared from beneath, obviously attracted by all the razzmatazz we were making. What I love about sharks is that each kind has his own behavior, in fact the gray sharks would cruise around us sometimes getting closer sometimes backing off, while the nurse sharks soon became part of our team. They followed us everywhere and one had decided that I was his buddy and swam beside me, ahead of me and sometimes behind me for most of the dive. It is a gentle giant I know but I also knew that once he bites he won't let go, you either kill him or surface... right, do so with a two meters fellow hanging on your leg.
One more great place in the area is a pinnacle surfacing from about 20 something meters depth dubbed Richelieu Rock. It is quite famous for spotting Whale sharks but besides that it is a wonderful observatory indeed as it is the only rock for miles. Corals covering its walls create an ecosystem that eventually attracts fish of any size and big pelagic are likely to pass by. We spent one day on an all-you-can-dive session and we saw plenty of interesting fish, namely a couple of huge cuttlefish, barracudas, octopus, rays, sharks and a guitar shark playing peekaboo with us the all day. The place is also great for macro photography and I believe it makes a terrific night dive which we didn't do as we were already loaded enough with nitrogen and exhausted after chasing the Whale shark. We did see the beast by the way but he was too scared by the new intruders and shied away, so...no pictures.
When I see a Bat fish underwater I always smile, it means that there are sharks around. No guarantee you'll see one but they are there and have already heard you coming. It is one of those signs you learn reading underwater to find your answers. It's like current, some people would sigh if they are told that the current can be strong. I smile as it tells me - and the bat fish will confirm it - that chances to spot sharks are greater. It adds a special taste to my dive.
The area is so rich and close encounters so easy that once we "aborted" a well planned dive because as we started diving three huge Mantas approached us in a very playful mood. They are as big as gentle and would fly around you chasing your bubbles. If one of them gets close enough for you to touch her it means that she feels comfortable and doesn't mind a close contact. I spent most of the dive floating in a sort of waltzer with one of them. I would swim trying to keep close to her belly and gently scratching it, she would make sure that the "scratching"distance won't increase at every flip or change of direction, just like a perfect team. That's when I forget I have a camera and actually I couldn't care less. They remained with us for more than half an hour and when they left we realized that we were still in 5 meters depth.
If you want to dive the Burma Banks just browse the net for dive shops based in Puket and you're done. Today is as simple as that. However I still feel like giving you one hint or two if you like. First: mind the wet season, there is nothing like choppy winds and big waves and loads of rain to spoil your trip. February and March would be the best and safest choice as nowadays the rainy season in South East Asia tends to stretch well into December/January. Check the boat, if you can afford the price choose one that carries less divers and definitely go for a sailing boat as it is less noisy and smelly. Third: double check your equipment and bring spare parts with you, remember you'll be out in the sea for a week and if your BCD or camera dies you're fucked. Yes, dive shops in Puket have replacements but they don't really carry on the boat more than the basics. Don't even hope you'll rent a sexy NikonosV with flash light on the spot, most certainly your dive shop will not have the one you like or it will at a Draculian price. And no one else will rent it to you as you're not their customer. It's a merciful world up here.
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