The Andaman Sea, sometimes referred to as the Burma Sea, is part of the Indian Ocean. This body of water is nestled between the south of Burma, the east of India, and the west of Thailand.

The coastal areas of the Andaman Sea are lined with mangrove forests, which feed off of the rich saltwater of the sea. Beneath the depths of the sea, are almost 300 types of edible fish, several species of turtles, and bright coral reefs. The Andaman Sea is also home to one of the rarest marine mammals, the dugong, which resembles a manatee that grazes on the sea grass of the ocean floor.

Phang Nga Bay in the Andaman Sea has become a popular spot for photo-ops with visitors. In 1974, this area, located off the coast of Thailand, was featured in the James Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun. Since then, the island has garnered the nickname, ‘James Bond Island’. “That’s Bond, James Bond.’

The Andaman Sea has been a popular route for transporting goods throughout coastal Southeast Asian countries. Several of the trade ports and fishing docks were severely affected by the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, which sent waves of up to 30 feet tall crashing down on the shores of Southwestern Thailand.

© ProjectExplorer.org, 2011 - present.
Text by Gabrielle Pasternak.
Image by Rachel Rudwall.