View allAll Photos Tagged Mergui_Archipelago
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
Ric's best of 2010-2011 underwater, taken at Mergui Archipelago, Burma Banks & Similan Islands. ©Thailand Dive & Sail • www.thailanddiveandsail.com
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
There's been a lot of mixed reports over the last few years about diving in Burma. Unsustainable fishing practices and longline fishing has certainly taken its toll on the Andaman Sea region as a whole and continued blast fishing in Burma can leave dive sites devasted for months. After three trips to the Mergui Archipelago so far this season there has been a marked improvement in fish life and diversity of species. Is Burma bouncing back?
The Nicobar Pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica, is a pigeon found on small islands and in coastal regions from Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas.
An adult at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park with iridescent scapularsIt is a large pigeon, measuring 40 cm in length.
Nicobar Pigeons are hunted in considerable numbers for food, and also for their gizzard stone which is used in jewelry. The species is also trapped for the local pet market, but as it is on CITES Appendix I, such trade is generally illegal.
Though the bird is widely distributed and in some locations very common – even on small Palau it is still reasonably plentiful, with an estimated 1,000 adult birds remaining –, its long-term future is increasingly being jeopardized. For these reasons, the IUCN considers C. nicobarica a Near Threatened species.
Thanaka girl · Bo Cho Island, Mergui Archipelago, Andaman Sea, Myanmar
The Thanaka tree's ground bark or wood with added water produces a paste that is commonly used in Myanmar by girls,
boys and women to protect the skin and to avoid sunburns.
The application is also used to add a personal touch and beautifying effect.
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
Ric's best of 2010-2011 underwater, taken at Mergui Archipelago, Burma Banks & Similan Islands. ©Thailand Dive & Sail
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
Moorish Bannerfish on the move photographed in the Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar (Burma) on-board the Dolphin Queen with Similan Diving Safaris 2015/16 season.
Caloenas nicobarica-The Nicobar Pigeon breeding range encompasses the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, the Mergui Archipelago of Myanmar, offshore islands of south-western Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, southern Cambodia and Vietnam, and many of the small islands between Sumatra, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.
NASA image acquired December 14, 2004
In the southernmost reaches of Burma (Myanmar), along the border with Thailand, lies the Mergui Archipelago. The archipelago in the Andaman Sea is made up of more than 800 islands surrounded by extensive coral reefs.
This natural color image acquired by Landsat 5 on Dec. 14, 2004, shows the middle portion of the archipelago, including Auckland and Whale Bays. Swirling patterns are visible in the near-shore waters as sediments carried by rivers slowly settle out and are deposited on the seafloor. The heavy sediment loads make the river appear nearly white. As those sediments settle out, the seawater appears deeper shades of blue. The tropical rainforests of the region appear deep green.
Captain Thomas Forrest of the East India Company first described the region to Europeans after a 1782 expedition in search of potential sugar-growing lands. At that time, the islands were mainly inhabited by a nomadic fishing culture. These people, known as the Moken, still call the archipelago home and mostly live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. As of 2006, 2,000 Moken were known to inhabit the Burmese portion of Mergui.
The small population of the archipelago has helped preserve its high diversity of plants and animals. In 1997, Burma opened the region to foreign tourism and in the years since it has become a major diving destination. A valued species of pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) are found in nearby waters. Today, overfishing is emerging as a regional problem.
Landsat image created by Michael Taylor, Landsat Project Science Office. Caption by Laura Rocchio.
Instrument: Landsat 5 - TM
To read more go to: 1.usa.gov/TDmjsk
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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