Exploring the southern part of Myanmar
- Mergui (or Myeik) Archipelago lies off the far south coast of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It's comprised of hundreds of islands that have coral reefs and beaches. Lampi Island, in Lampi Marine National Park, is home to the seafaring indigenous Moken people. It's a haven for birds, notably the plain-pouched hornbill, plus marine life like dugongs and turtles. Myeik, a port town, is a gateway to islands close to shore. Have a look at these photos.
- Lampi island is the largest island in the southern half of the archipelago and it's shaped like a giant horse shoe. Scientists are just starting to explore the amazing wildlife of Lampi. It is said that there are still wild elephants living in the forests, but at this moment nobody really seems to know.
There is one marine national park in Myanmar and it’s right in the centre of our sailing area.
With over 200 sq km in size, Lampi is the largest island in the southern part of the Mergui Archipelago. It rises almost 500 meters above sea level and is home to more than a thousand species of animals, plants and marine life, many of which are rare and protected.
Because of its important biodiversity, the national park was declared an ASEAN Heritage Park. Lampi Island is covered by tropical lowland wet evergreen forest in the interior, mangrove forest along rivers and fresh-water sources, and beach and dune forest along the coast. Other major habitat types are coral reefs, seagrass, freshwater streams and swamps. The main island of Lampi has two major perennial rivers and many small seasonal streams. Fresh-water resources are abundant. The variety of habitats supports a high diversity of both terrestrial and marine resources.
The nature conservation society Oikos has published a study on Myanmar’s national parks, which contains an in-depth survey of Lampi Island Marine National Park and its ecology with detailed lists of its wildlife and overviews of threatened animals in the park. This survey is the most valuable resource available on the Mergui Archipelago’s ecology.