Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About The Amazing Andaman Sea

The Andaman Sea is extensively used for commercial fishing and for transporting goods from one coastal country to the other. There are several islands and coral reefs in the Andaman Sea with most of them being politically owned by India including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands but there are several others that are inhabited.

The Andaman Sea is believed to be one of the best options when it comes to diving and water sports.

The country closest to the Andaman Sea is Thailand and mainly southern Thailand. Tourists visiting Thailand every year travel to the south of the country for enjoying the landscapes and the scuba diving facilities at the Andaman Sea.

The coastline of the Andaman Sea offers some of the best beaches, diving spots, as well as scenic views all across the world.

Phuket is the most well-established landmass along the coast of the Andaman Sea although there are some upcoming ones such as Krabi, Koi Phi Phi.

The scuba diving opportunities in this sea can be best availed at the Similan Islands and the Surin Islands. The Andaman Sea also offers coral reefs with most of them located near the offshore islands primarily on the eastern part of the island.

The major economic activities of fishery and tourism in the Andaman Sea suffered great damage during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami which left many small islands, as well as the southern part of India in havoc.

Where is the Andaman Sea located?

Geographically, the Andaman Sea extends from 92 degrees East to 100 degrees East and four degrees North to 20 degrees North and is an integral part of the Indian Ocean. The sea has five basin countries: India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

The Andaman Sea is located towards the south of Myanmar, North of Indonesia and lies on the west side of Thailand.

Did you know that it is the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are responsible for separating the Andaman Sea from the Bay of Bengal? In respect of the Indian Ocean, the Andaman Sea or the Burma Sea is located in the northeastern part of the ocean.

Interestingly, the southernmost part of the Andaman Sea is located by Breueh Island which is located towards the northern part of Sumatra, a part of the Sunda Islands.

The International Hydrographic Organization has precisely defined the boundaries of the Andaman Sea.

According to it, on the southwest, there is a line that runs from 'Oedjong Raja' till Poeloe Bras and further extends till the Western Islands of Nicobar islands to an area called Sandy Point located in Little Andaman Island.

Towards the Northwest, there is the Bay of Bengal on the eastern limit up until the larger islands of the Andaman Islands.

Did you know, on the southeast, the Andaman Sea is credited for forming the Straits of Malacca separating the Sumatra Island and the Malay Peninsula?

The part of the Andaman Sea which is located towards the western coast of the Malay Peninsula and near the Andaman Islands is pretty rich in coral reefs. Moving on to the depth of the Andaman Sea, its average depth is around 3,596 ft (1,096 m) but the maximum depth of this sea is 13,773 ft (4,198 m).

Moreover, it is a misconception that the Andaman Sea belongs to India as various Andaman Sea islands are located near the coast of Thailand.

The two most significant islands in this sea are the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands. The Nicobar Islands archipelago is politically a part of India and is geographically located in the eastern Indian Ocean.

The Andaman Islands too which are a part of the Indian Ocean archipelago islands are also located in the Eastern Indian ocean but not all of these islands are politically under India's jurisdiction.

What animals live in the Andaman Sea?

The Andaman Sea, as well as the Andaman Sea islands, are home to a variety of endemic animals which can only be found in this part of the world. Interestingly, the flora of the Andaman Islands is pretty similar to that of the mainland as there is less than expected overlap of flora on the Andaman Island.

There is a massive marine life in the Andaman Sea, and researchers have concluded that there exist around 280 different species of edible fish in the Andaman Sea which belong to 75 different families.

Marine life can further be divided on the basis of their habitat. Most of the fish species live in the mangroves with around 232 fish species belonging to 69 different families living in the mangroves, whereas, there are 149 other species belonging to 51 families which live in seagrass.

Additionally, there are around 100 species that live on both these habitats without any hiccup.

In the deep ocean, one can also come across several dolphin species such as the Irrawaddy dolphin whose scientific name is Orcaella brevirostris. There also exist four types of sea turtles in the Andaman Sea including certain Critically Endangered species.

The marine mammal, dugong can also be found in this sea but it is believed that only 150 of these animals now exist in the sea and can be found in the south Thailand areas.

Can you visit the Andaman Sea Islands?

The Andaman and Nicobar Island are easily accessible and are visited by thousands of tourists every year. Of all the Andaman Sea islands, it is the Andaman and Nicobar Island which is the largest, most inhabited of all.

There are several small islands that are inhabited and there is an unchecked growth of vegetation on those islands. Let us take a look at how to reach Andaman and Nicobar Island.

To your delight, there are multiple ways of reaching this island as you can either travel by air or by water.

At the same time, you can opt for a cheap travel option or can go for luxury and expensive air or cruise travel. The Andaman and Nicobar Island is a place where you can visit with your friends, as well as your family, and it is a great place to travel to.

You can enjoy scuba diving, some water sports and take a look at some historical places on the island.

When you travel to Andaman whether by air or by water, your landing will be at Port Blair. In case you are traveling to the Andaman Sea islands which are located on Thailand's Andaman coast, you can get there by air and some travel by bus and ferry.

There are several low-cost airlines in Thailand such as Jetstar, Air Asia, Thai Airways, and Nok Air which offer these flights.

You can access any one of these from airports in Krabi or Phuket. Most of these flights take the tourists to Trang airport from where they can travel first by bus and then by ferry to reach the islands.

Some of these Andaman Sea islands in Thailand which are widely visited include the likes of Phi Phi Lee, Koh Lanta, Koh Poda, and many more.

Did you know, if you are traveling to the Andaman and Nicobar islands from India and you are an immigrant, then the regular permit which will be issued to you will only allow you to travel the Little Andaman Island, South Andaman Island, and the Middle Andaman Island?

These islands are politically governed by India and are not a state but a union territory, directly under the rule of the President of India. It is said that the best time to visit the Andaman west coast and the other nearby coast is during the months of December to March.

The temperature is soothing but there will be huge crowds and an eventual price surge.

On the other hand, the months of July to November mark the offseason in the Andaman coast due to the monsoon. Now while you visit the Andaman Coast, there is a wide range of options when it comes to places you can stay at.

Some of the best ones include the likes of Havelock Island Beach Resort, Dolphin Resort, and many more too.

How is climate change affecting the Andaman Sea?

The Andaman Islands experience a tropical climate that is influenced by consistent sea breezes and the monsoons which occur in Southeast Asia. In these islands, the temperatures are moderate throughout the year as it is neither too hot nor too cold. The average temperature range throughout the year is from around 70-80 F (22-27 C).

The southwest monsoon which primarily occurs from the months of May till the month of September brings rainfall to the island. The Andaman Islands on average receive around 118 in (3,000 mm) of rainfall in a year.

Moreover, the months of October and November are known for tropical cyclones which again, in turn, lead to rainfall in the Andaman Islands.

For a fact, in the Nicobar Islands, the great Nicobar area is believed to receive the maximum amount of rainfall more than the other areas of the island.

The meteorological data which is collected at the Andaman Sea islands is pretty beneficial for shipping purposes especially in the Bay of Bengal. In 1868, there was a reporting station in Port Blair which helped collect data which was then utilized by the weather department in India.

In recent times, the issues of climate change and global warming have wreaked havoc on the entire world as people are realizing that the fear of climate change is real.

The effect of climate change has been observed in these Andaman Sea islands with significant changes in the amount of rainfall.

There were significant changes in the respective of rainfall as places that earlier were categorized as receiving heavy rainfall, now receive very heavy rainfall. Persistent droughts, erratic rainfall, high temperature leading to the water crisis, loss of moisture especially during the summer days are some of the most notable effects of climate change.

Moreover, there has also been a rise in the water level which is associated with climate change.