Exploring the Depths: Scuba Diving in Havelock Island (2024)

Scuba diving in Havelock Island has definitely spoilt me. It has set the standards and bars so high that any dive has to be really wonderful for it to come close to Havelock Island. The dives were absolutely awesome. You get warm and clear water with plentiful marine life when you dive in Havelock Island.

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Travel Blogs:
One Week in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Travel Guide to Havelock Island
Scuba Diving in Havelock Island
Travel Guide to Neil Island
Scuba Diving in Neil Island
Plan Your Visit to Chidiya Tapu
One-Day Trip to Baratang Island
One-Day Trip to Ross Island from Port Blair
Never Forgotten Tales of Cellular Jail
One-Day Trip to Jolly Buoy Island from Port Blair
Reasons To Skip North Bay Island

Where is Havelock Island?

Havelock Island is one of the islands in the South Andaman district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Officially known as Swaraj Dweep, this island is truly a spectacular place to discover the underwater world. Not just scuba diving, there are many activities that one can do at Havelock Island and have a great vacation.

The best time to visit Havelock Island is during the winter season (between October and February). I dived in January, and the water temperature was around 27 to 28 degrees centigrade. I always dive in the early morning so the water is not too hot and so I am done by noon so I can do other things on the island.

Scuba Diving in Havelock Island

Diving in Havelock Island was a dream. The conditions were perfect, which is what every diver dreams of: warm water with stunning visibility and even better underwater life. I could not have asked for anything better.

You should also consider diving at Neil Island as it is another island with the best dive sites.

Dive sites

When I was on Havelock Island, I dived at two different sites. One was a shore dive at Nemo Reef, and the other was a boat dive at Tribe Gate. Both were absolutely stunning and surely two of the best dives I have dived.

Nemo Reef

Stunning coral reefs surround Havelock Island. The most famous one among the dive centres is the Nemo Reef. Nemo Reef has plenty of clown fish colonies, hence the name of the dive site. While diving at Nemo Reef, I saw around five kinds of clownfish in its natural habitat. This has to be my favourite dive site ever because of the number of fish I spotted.

Dive logistics

• Type of dive: Shore dive.
• Dive site: Open sea.
• Wet suit required: Yes, but just 2 mm as the water is very warm (around 28 degrees centigrade).
• Depth: Around 9 metres.
• Visibility: 7 to 8 metres. Note: The visibility mainly depends on the condition of the sea on that particular day.
• Ideal for: Beginners. Many dive centres take new divers to Nemo Reef, which is very popular for introductory dives.
• Current: Nil.

Tribe gate

I did my second dive at the Tribe Gate. The dive site had lovely sculptures spread around and was truly an underwater city. There was also a Jeep underwater, and it was pretty cool. The current underwater was mild, so I really enjoyed diving at this site.

Dive logistics

• Type of dive: Boat dive. The boat ride was just around 5 to 10 minutes from the shore.
• Dive site: Open sea.
• Wet suit required: Yes, but 2 mm is sufficient as the water was really warm (around 28 degrees centigrade).
• Depth: Around 13 to 14 metres.
• Visibility: About 5 to 7 metres. Note: The visibility mainly depends on the condition of the sea on that particular day.
• Ideal for: Open water certified divers and above.
• Current: Mild to Moderate.

Dive Centre

Havelock Island has plenty of dive centres. I was told that there were as many as 40 dive centres on the island. I went with Havelock divers, also known as Nemo divers. And I think that was the best choice. My dive buddy Darius was amazing and so passionate about marine life. I have never met anyone who was so thorough in identifying fish.

Contact details

• Havelock divers.
• Phone numbers: +91 7477777880, +91 8328777757.
• info@havelockdivers.com.
• The dive centre is open between 6 AM and 7 PM every day.

Cost

The cost for beginner divers for a shore dive (introductory with a dive master or an instructor) is around INR 2500 to 3500, and for a boat dive, the cost is around INR 3500. Make sure to ask for discounts while diving and the dive centres do decrease the price as there is so much competition on the island. Refer to the individual website for up-to-date prices and availability.

Note: I am a PADI-certified diver, and hence my dives were cheaper than the beginner dives.

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Marine life

The marine life at both dive sites was abundant. The dive sites are perfect for spotting small fish, especially Nemos (clown fish). I have never spotted and seen so many fish during my dives. There were many clown fish colonies, parrot fish, honeycomb groupers, puffer fish, squids, cuttlefish, moray eels, butterflyfish, banner fish, and many more.

I did not see any big guys while diving in the Andaman Islands! There were no sharks or whales, but I did see a stingray and a turtle when I dived into Neil Island.

Closing Notes

I had a great time diving in Havelock Island. The water, corals and underwater world were just too mesmerising, and I would go back any time in the blink of an eye if given a choice. I highly suggest diving in Havelock island if you want a pleasant experience diving. Have you dived at Havelock? Let me know by writing to me at Solopassport@gmail.com.

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