Port Blair is one of the world’s most sought-after destinations for scuba diving. The underwater coral belts around Andaman are full of dense ecosystems of gorgeous coral reefs and formations. Scuba diving in Port Blair offers a unique experience to divers, with long stretches of reefs complimented by volcanic lava hills. It is an unparalleled experience due to its untouched and alive corals. The deeper you go, the more intrigued you will be with the beauty. It has calm and clear waters that offer excellent visibility for diving and is a paradise for underwater adventure enthusiasts.
Factors That Affect Scuba Diving
To get the perfect diving experience, it is essential to know the factors that govern scuba diving. Although there are numerous diving sites in Port Blair.
- Clarity of Water
- Weather
- Water Depth
- Coral and Fish Population
- Water Current
- Safety
Levels Of Scuba Diving
There are 3 levels of scuba diving – non-swimmers / beginners, intermediates, and professionals.
- A diver of any level can enrol for a scuba diving course here, and he/she has to be in good physical and mental condition.
- Beginners and non-swimmers, who wish to have just a one-time diving experience, can also get one-on-one or small-group training before going for the final dive.
7 Places For Scuba Diving In Port Blair
The Andaman Islands offer an unmatched underwater paradise to the divers. This fascinating island has some of the best spots for scuba diving in Port Blair.
1. Wandoor Beach
Photo: Dvellakat / Wikimedia Commons
The Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Wandoor is an ideal place for scuba diving as its waters have amazing marine life to explore. It has an oozing natural charm and consists of colourful sea flowers and more than 50 types of corals. The marine life spotted there includes clownfish, surgeonfish, white tip sharks, angelfish, butterfly fish, parrot sharks, and many more. It is a paradise for scuba divers in Port Blair as they get to witness the diverse marine wonderland.
Distance From Port Blair: Just 16 km south of Port Blair
Depth: 20 meters
Ideal For: Beginners
Best Time To Visit: Sunrise to sunset
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2. Jolly Buoy Island
Photo: Ayushi Rai / Wikimedia Commons
This island is a part of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park and is one of the serene locations. It is a paradise for scuba divers in Port Blair due to its turquoise waters and intriguing underwater life. This diving site is filled with massive types of reef-building corals. Tropical fish like damselfish, sergeant majors, and anthias are found here in abundance. Along with many small fishes, divers will also enjoy the mesmerizing hard and soft corals.
Distance From Port Blair: Just 16 km south of Port Blair
Depth: 20 meters
Ideal For: Beginners
Timings: 9 AM – 5 PM
3. Corruption Rock
Photo: Matthew T Rader / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
This location has a huge rock with beautiful channels, gullies, canyons, and ridges. The diving site is on the western side of the rock. This huge rock goes down up to 30 meters inside the water and the top part emerges out of the water. A large amount of sea creatures are spotted here – giant groupers, blackjacks, eagle rays, barracuda, hump head parrotfish, green sea turtles, unicorn fish, schooling fusiliers, big Napoleons, tuna, dolphin, reef sharks, and corals that cover the face of the rock, which makes it one of the best spots for scuba diving in Port Blair city.
Depth: 30 meters
Ideal For: Intermediates and experts
TimingS: 9 AM – 5 PM
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4. Snake Island
Photo: Yercaud Elango / Wikimedia Commons
This island has a beautiful underwater world with crystal-clear waters and rich marine life. Divers get to explore the natural aquatic environment here. This island has a distinctive biodiversity and incredible aquatic creatures – Pisces, molluscs, cnidarians, rays, goatfish, triggerfish, arthropods, grunts, and a variety of colourful corals. If you are one of those, who are looking for pleasant scuba diving in Port Blair and want to explore marine life, then this is the destination for you.
Distance From Port Blair: Just 5 km from Port Blair
Depth: 14 meters
Ideal For: Beginner to advance
Timings: 6 AM – 5 PM
5. Rutland Island
Photo: Harikrishnan S / Wikimedia Commons
Rutland Island is a gorgeous destination that has magnificent marine life and offers a thrilling spot for scuba diving in Port Blair. This tiny island has a lot to offer in terms of natural beauty, underwater adventure, and excitement. Its waters hold some hidden treasures for the divers. It is visited a lot by adventure enthusiasts who love to be underwater. The aquatic life here includes hard corals, pipefishes, sea turtles, eagle rays, and seaweed beds. The underwater beauty of this Rutland is just unparalleled.
Distance: Just 20 Km from Port Blair
Depth: 12 meters
Ideal For: Beginners
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6. Cinque Islands
Photo: Vardhan Patankar / Wikimedia Commons
This is a marine sanctuary that has some of the best pristine reefs, and the reef-building corals are visible in the shallow waters here. On going deeper the reef composition changes. It is considered one of the best places for scuba diving in Port Blair. Diving here is like exploring the birth of beautiful reefs. it is home to numerous reef-associated fish like – wrasse, damselfish, snappers, groupers, parrotfish, and many more species of marine wildlife of the Indian Ocean.
Distance: Just 37 km south of Port Blair
Depth: 30 meters
Ideal For: Beginners and intermediates
7. Fish Rock
Photo: Umairchaudhry64 / Wikimedia Commons / Image For Representation Only
Fish rock is a place where a pinnacle rises from the seafloor and hardly reaches the surface of the water. This beautiful diving site has a lot of fish near the rocky protrusion. The bottom is sandy and divers reaching the bottom can spot the resident giant grouper that is 6 feet long. It is a breathtaking sight to behold. Other kinds of fish found here are – snappers, triggerfish, surgeonfish, sweetlips, Napoleon wrasse, and many more. Fish Rock is one of the lovely sites for scuba diving in Port Blair.
Distance: Just 50 km from Port Blair
Depth: 30 meters
Ideal For: Experts and Intermediates
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Price Of Scuba Diving
The price of scuba diving in Port Blair depends on the place you are diving from, the vendor you choose, and the boat ride to the diving spot (at some places). The approximate price range is INR 4000 to INR 7000.
Best Time To Visit
The best time for scuba diving in Port Blair is from October to May. The water is calm during these months and offers the best visibility underwater.
Scuba diving in Port Blair is an activity that should not be missed as this place is the best location for underwater adventure. The visibility underwater is excellent offers a beautiful paradise, and has an extensive and pristine coral population. So without any delay, dive into this magnificent underwater world and explore the unexplored. Don’t wait, plan your trip with TripXL to get the best diving experience of your life.
Cover Photo: Kishlay Singh / Wikimedia Commons