PHOTOS: Myanmar’s lost world – the Mergui Archipelago
March 21, 2014
In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, Maali, an elderly Moken man, nomads of the sea, smokes a pipe as he adjusts a paddle on his canoe on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The Moken group of several families are spending 10 days hunting for squid and whatever else they can collect before returning to their village on another island toward Myanmar’s southwestern coast with a lacework of 800 islands, what is known as the Lost World. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 12, 2014 photo, a diving boat sails near an unidentified Island in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 11, 2014 photo, Moken children learn to swim on Bocho Island, inhabited by Moken and Myanmarese fishermen, in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. Although no accurate census is available, about 2,000 Moken are believed to inhabit the archipelago, significantly reduced through migration, intermarriage with Burmese and deaths of males from rampant alcohol and drug abuse. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a young Moken boy, nomads of the sea, collects Limpets on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. Although no accurate census is available, about 2,000 Moken are believed to inhabit the archipelago, significantly reduced through migration, intermarriage with Burmese and deaths of males from rampant alcohol and drug abuse. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 11, 2014 photo, a Myanmarese barber trims the hair of a boy in Ma Kyone Galet village, inhabited by Moken and Myanmarese fishermen, on Bocho Island in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The village, located within the Lampi National Park, is home to 480 Burmese and other ethnic groups, 280 Moken and 146 from Moken-Burmese marriages, as of a 2012 count. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 11, 2014 photo, a Myanmarese woman cooks food inside her hut at Ma Kyone Galet village, inhabited by Moken and Myanmarese fishermen, on Bocho Island in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The village, located within the Lampi National Park, is home to 480 Burmese and other ethnic groups, 280 Moken and 146 from Moken-Burmese marriages, as of a 2012 count. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a tourist floats on sparkling clear water next to a newly built jetty on the Chin Kite Kyunn, or Mosquito Bite Island, in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. The long jetty and two helicopter pads have been built and nine bungalows are under construction on the stunning but rather unwelcomely named Island, leased by Tay Za, believed to be Myanmar’s richest tycoon and closely connected with its power brokers. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a woman belonging to Moken tribe, nomads of the sea, cooks food in the shade of a tree on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a Moken child, nomads of the sea, looks at a pan with freshly caught fish for lunch on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The child is a part of a Moken group of several families spending 10 days hunting for squid and whatever else they can collect before returning to their village on another island toward Myanmar’s southwestern coast with a lacework of 800 islands, what is known as the Lost World. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a Moken boy, nomads of the sea, plays with a bamboo pole with a wooden wheel attached, on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The boy is a group of a Moken group of several families spending 10 days hunting for squid and whatever else they can collect before returning to their village on another island toward Myanmar’s southwestern coast with a lacework of 800 islands, what is known as the Lost World. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( APTOPIX Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 9, 2014 photo, an elderly Moken woman, nomads of the sea, rests in the shade of a tree on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The woman is part of a group of several Moken families spending 10 days hunting for squid and whatever else they can collect before returning to their village on another island toward Myanmar’s southwestern coast with a lacework of 800 islands, what is known as the Lost World. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a newly carved canoe, mostly used by Moken people, nomads of the sea, lies on the shore of Nyuang Wee Island inhabited by Myanmarese fishermen, in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. Although no accurate census is available, about 2,000 Moken are believed to inhabit the archipelago, significantly reduced through migration, intermarriage with Burmese and deaths of males from rampant alcohol and drug abuse. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 8, 2014 photo, a British tourist sits on the deck of a yacht as it sails through Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 11, 2014 photo, a Thai tourist works in the kitchen of Meta IV, a $1 million yacht offering cruises among the reefs and islands, as it stands anchored near Jar Lann Island, in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 9, 2014 photo, Meta IV, a $1 million yacht offering cruises among the reefs and islands, is silhouetted at sunset near Nyuang Wee Island, in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a Myanmarese fisherman carries fresh water to his fishing boat on Nyuang Wee Island inhabited by Myanmarese fishermen, in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. Although no accurate census is available, about 2,000 Moken are believed to inhabit the archipelago, significantly reduced through migration, intermarriage with Burmese and deaths of males from rampant alcohol and drug abuse. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a group of Moken families, nomads of the sea, rest in the shade of trees on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The Moken group of several families are spending 10 days hunting for squid and whatever else they can collect before returning to their village on another island toward Myanmar’s southwestern coast with a lacework of 800 islands, what is known as the Lost World. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, Moken children, nomads of the sea, paddle their canoe near Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The children are part of a Moken group of several families spending 10 days hunting for squid and whatever else they can collect before returning to their village on another island toward Myanmar’s southwestern coast with a lacework of 800 islands, what is known as the Lost World. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( APTOPIX Myanmar Lost World )
In this Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014 photo, a woman belonging to Moken tribe, nomads of the sea, carries her child as she steps out of her canoe on Island 115 in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. Although no accurate census is available, about 2,000 Moken are believed to inhabit the archipelago, significantly reduced through migration, intermarriage with Burmese and deaths of males from rampant alcohol and drug abuse. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
In this Feb. 11, 2014 photo, a Moken man, nomads of the sea, skins puffer fish in Ma Kyone Galet village, inhabited by Moken and Myanmarese fishermen, on Bocho Island in Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar. The village, located within the Lampi National Park, is home to 480 Burmese and other ethnic groups, 280 Moken and 146 from Moken-Burmese marriages, as of a 2012 count. Isolated for decades by the country’s former military regime and piracy, the Mergui archipelago is thought by scientists to harbor some of the world’s most important marine biodiversity and looms as a lodestone for those eager to experience one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers before, as many fear, it succumbs to the ravages that have befallen many of the continent’s once pristine seascapes. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) ( Myanmar Lost World )
Categories: News, Syndicated
Tags: photo