Andaman Sea, Marginal sea in eastern Indian Ocean, Myanmar and India
The Andaman Sea is a marginal sea of the Indian Ocean lying between the Bay of Bengal and the Malay Peninsula, bordered by Myanmar, Thailand and the Indian Andaman Islands. It covers roughly 797,000 square kilometers (308,000 square miles) and reaches depths exceeding 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) in the deep basins between the volcanic island chains.
Merchants from India and China used these waters as trade routes from the first century onward, carrying spices and silk between Southeast Asia and the Bay of Bengal. European trading ships began navigating the sea regularly in the 16th century, when the Portuguese and later the British and Dutch established trading posts along the coast.
Coastal villages across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands maintain languages and customs shaped by centuries of isolation from the mainland. Fishers set out at dawn and return in late afternoon, anchoring their boats in shallow water near the shore as the tide recedes.
The coasts and islands are most accessible between November and April, when winds ease and the sea is calmer. Boats run more frequently, and diving schools and tour operators offer continuous service during these months.
Barren Island in this sea holds the only active volcano in South Asia, its crater rising above an island covered in black lava rock. Steam plumes are visible from the water in calm weather, though the island is uninhabited and the Indian Coast Guard limits access.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
