Report on a trip to the Mergui Archipelago

'On a crisp warm morning in April this year I caught my first glimpse of Myanmar's southern tropical islands. Having sailed north from Kawthaung the previous evening on SEAL's beautiful yacht "Crescent", we anchored in a shallow bay and hopped ashore on Wa Ale Kyunn to explore. Tall evergreen dipterocarp trees cover this island, and it's larger neighbour Lampi Island. The first birds I noticed were Green imperial pigeons, a largish bird with a restricted range, but apparently locally common on the islands. Tracks of mouse deer and civet cat dotted the mud along tidal creeks. Crab-eating macaques, a boisterous primate were quickly spotted in mangrove forests near the beach. All of this wildlife on our first morning!

Designated as Myanmar's first Marine National Park in 1996, Lampi and surrounding islands form a 205 square kilometer conservation

area that support a range of globally and regionally threatened marine animals including dugong, whales and dolphins, and sea turtles. The Park also protects good stands of evergreen forests, as well as mangroves and tidal swamp forests, and coral reefs. I spent six days exploring Wa Ale and Lampi Islands with SEAL. It was an incredible experience! As a professional biologist on vacation, I was intrigued by the diversity of animal and plant life, which I describe here.

Marine endangered species
Sea turtles nest on many beaches on the islands digging sandy craters to deposit their valuable clutches. Four species of turtle; Green, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley and Leatherback are found in the Andaman Sea. All are declining in numbers, so beaches like those on islands in the Lampi Group are important for their survival. Sea turtles are threatened by long-line fishing lines and nets, by collection of their eggs for trade and by water pollution.

Dugongs are another species of concern. Occasionally reported from the Mergui Islands, these beautiful mammal grazers are threatened by hunting, by eradication of sea grass beds which support them, and by collisions with boats and encounters with nets.

A number of whales and dolphins are known from the Andaman Sea. Spinner, spotted and striped dolphins, along with long-finned pilot whales, false killer whales, Bryde's whales and Minke whale have recently been recorded in the southern Mergui Archipelago. On days when the sea is calm these mammals can be spotted from boats. The shape of their dorsal fins, and overall size, as well as patterns are used to identify species and individuals. Dolphins are threatened by over fishing - which reduces their available food, by accidental death in fishing nets, and by hunting for illegal trade.

Whale sharks and sharks are also frequently reported from Lampi Island, although we did not see any during the few dives we made.

Coral reefs
We dived in several places the most memorable of which was a secret place which shall remain nameless off Swinton Island. On the roof of an underwater cave we found dozens of spiny lobster, as well as jacks, tuna and barracuda and other large fish. Some large heads of hard coral, as well as soft coral with algae, sponge crinoids and hydroids covering rocks and calcerous substrates. Nudibranchs, several species of eel, cowrie shells and perhaps a hundred species of reef fish were seen during an hour underwater. Fabulous!

Mangroves
Dense stands of mangroves some towering 25m occur on Lampi. We used sea kayaks to paddle through these mysterious forests at high tide. Mangroves support a wide range of marine fauna. Mangroves serve as nurseries for breeding fish. Waders and other water birds, along with crabs, and macaques feed in mangroves at low tide. At high tide, sharks, parrotfish and others feed in them.

Evergreen forests

Compared to islands further south, across the Thai border, which have suffered encroachment and clearance for development, forests on Wa Ale and Lampi Island were intact and mostly in good condition. There are large trees on the islands, large enough to support large birds such as hornbills and birds of prey which use them to nest and to feed. One afternoon, climbing to the peak of a small island of Lampi, I counted 60 Plain-pouched hornbills in a single flock. The birds were feeding on fruit in large trees on a steep limestone hill. Smaller flocks of Brahminy kites circled high above the screeching hornbills. A spectacular sunset with the silhouettes of the hornbills and kites left a particularly lasting impression on me.

People
The only residents in the islands are temporary ones, and include the semi-nomadic Salon people. The islands are a part of their native fishing grounds and their small wooden hulks are seen plying the coasts.

Unfortunately, due to it's remoteness and other pressing environmental concerns, Lampi has missed out on having staff assigned to protect it. Hopefully as the Mergui Archipelago becomes more popular, more attention will be paid to protecting the fragile island environments, so they can be enjoyed for decades more, or longer.

Tourism may become a threat to the islands in the future. Recognizing this possibility, SEAL provides low impact trips to Wa Ale and Lampi Islands. They maintain an unobtrusive camp on Wa Ale. It could be packed up in a day without a trace of anyone having been there. Dougie Alexander was without doubt the most knowledgeable dive master and amateur marine naturalist I have met in Asia. Our guide Cedric Gourmela's enthusiasm for nature is exemplified by the bird list he put together for the islands. The crew of the "Crescent" were excellent and conscious of safety and water cleanliness. Adam and Graham Frost were excellent hosts and they enjoy coming out with their guests to the islands. I thank them all for making this trip possible.'

About the Author.
Antony Lynam (Ph.D.), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)- Thailand Programme Director and conservation scientist, works with the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants to develop programmes for the conservation of the country's endangered species, park resources management, and the design and conduct of training curriculum for park rangers.

An Australian citizen, he has authored a number of technical papers and popular articles concerning conservation issues in Australia, North America, and Thailand, and was a contributor to the seminal volume on habitat fragmentation "Tropical Forest Remnants: Ecology, Conservation and Management". He writes frequently on natural history for magazines, journals and newspapers including Wildlife Conservation, The Nation, The Bangkok Post, and The Natural History Bulletin of The Siam Society.