2026 pillar
Best dive sites in the Andaman Islands (2026): a verified diver's guide
Updated 2026-09-04 · 39 plates in this cluster
Diver Atlas editorial · plates verified against listed Havelock centres including Continental Scuba, Swaraj Dweep · September 2026
The Andaman Islands sit where the Bay of Bengal meets the Andaman Sea: warm water, coral pinnacles, a handful of wrecks, and fewer crowds than Thailand or the Maldives. Swaraj Dweep (Havelock) alone holds more than twenty named sites, from a shore classroom to advanced current dives.
This is not an operator listicle. Each name below is a living encyclopedia plate — depth, difficulty, the certification the briefing usually calls for, marine life, hazards — and booking stays on the listed centre's own site. Condition notes belong on The Wall, not in a brochure paragraph we cannot refresh.
Andaman dive sites at a glance
Depths and levels come from Diver Atlas plates, not a travel-agency ranking. Open a plate for current, hazards, and geo.
| Dive site | Depth | Level | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nemo Reef | 5–16 m | Beginner (Discover Scuba / Open Water) | Shore dive at Beach No. 2, clownfish, Ghost Jeep |
| Turtle Beach | 5–10 m | Beginner (Open Water) | Staghorn terrace, green and hawksbill turtles |
| Tribe Gate | 3–15 m | Beginner (Open Water / Discover Scuba) | Oval seamount, giant clams, short boat |
| Barracuda City | 15–30 m | Intermediate | Wall and pinnacle, chevron barracuda schools |
| SS Inchkeith | 5–22 m | Intermediate (exterior wreck briefing) | 1955 cargo wreck, visible propeller |
| Dixon's Pinnacle | 16–35 m | Advanced / Deep | Three coral pinnacles, current, pelagics |
| Johnny's Gorge | 24–30 m | Advanced / Deep | Circular gorge, whitetip reef sharks on the sand |
Named plates
beginner · 5–16 m · shore
Nemo Reef
Beach No. 2, Govind Nagar, Swaraj Dweep
Beach No. 2's fringing reef — where almost every Havelock diver starts. Dual reef, clownfish, and the Ghost Jeep. A common checkout and try-dive house reef.
beginner · 5–10 m · boat
Turtle Beach
Eastern fringing reef, Swaraj Dweep
Shallow staghorn gardens (often cited around 80% live cover) with regular green and hawksbill turtles. A gentle, complete site — density over drama — and a priority site for reef-health monitoring.
beginner · 3–15 m · boat
Tribe Gate (Oval Reef)
Submerged seamount off Swaraj Dweep
A pocket seamount of giant clams and clownfish a few minutes off the beach. Useful for courses and for a short second dive.
intermediate · 15–30 m · boat
Barracuda City
Wall and pinnacle, Swaraj Dweep
A wall dive that earns its name when chevron barracuda stack into a spinning school around the pinnacle. Intermediate site — more current than Aquarium, less commitment than Johnny's.
intermediate · 5–22 m · boat
SS Inchkeith
Wreck between Havelock and neighbouring islands
The Inchkeith is Havelock's accessible wreck: plates, a propeller, and a thriving artificial reef of macro life. Coarse-located on purpose. Treated as an exterior wreck briefing; operator-verified when booked through a listed centre.
advanced · 16–35 m · boat
Dixon's Pinnacle
Offshore east of Swaraj Dweep
Three gigantic pinnacles dressed in soft coral — a world-class cleaning station and the centrepiece of Havelock's offshore 'holy trinity' with Johnny's Gorge and Jackson's Bar. Seasonal mantas and the occasional whale shark. Usually run as an advanced day.
advanced · 24–30 m · boat
Johnny's Gorge
Offshore east of Swaraj Dweep
A deep circular gorge where whitetip reef sharks rest on the sand and trevally school in the current. Completes the offshore trinity with Dixon's Pinnacle and Jackson's Bar. An advanced charter.
For beginners and Open Water divers
Nemo Reef is the only regular Havelock shore dive: Beach No. 2, 5–16 m, clownfish, and the Ghost Jeep. It is the usual Discover Scuba and Open Water checkout reef.
Turtle Beach is a shallow staghorn boat dive (5–10 m) with regular turtle sightings. Tribe Gate is a five-minute oval seamount used when Nemo is crowded. Neither is Dixon's.
Barracuda City is the step up: 15–30 m, a wall and pinnacle, named for chevron barracuda. Intermediate — more current than Aquarium, less commitment than Johnny's. Comfortable buoyancy first.
For advanced and experienced divers
Dixon's Pinnacle is three coral-covered pinnacles in blue water east of Havelock, 16–35 m, typically a 45–70 minute boat. Current on the columns is the briefing. Advanced Open Water / Deep is the usual card.
Johnny's Gorge is a circular rocky reef in sand at 24–30 m: whitetip reef sharks on the floor, trevally in the current. Operators often package it with Dixon's and Jackson's Bar on the same advanced day.
SS Inchkeith is a 1955 cargo wreck at 5–22 m. The propeller is still the photograph. Diver Atlas treats it as an exterior wreck briefing — no overhead certification implied. Open Water with a wreck orientation is common; penetration is a centre call.
When to dive the Andamans
Working boats run roughly October to May. Peak visibility and the calmest offshore days sit in the winter dry months, typically November to April, with December–March the most reliable for the trinity. Monsoon (roughly June–September) shuts most Havelock offshore charters; Nemo can still run when the bay is quiet.
Water stays tropical, about 27–29 °C. That does not make every site beginner-safe. Current on the pinnacles and The Wall is a briefing item, not a marketing line.
What certification do you need?
Discover Scuba / no card: Nemo Reef and other shallow house reefs, with an instructor.
Open Water: most beginner reefs into the teens. Stay off the offshore trinity until the briefing says otherwise.
Advanced Open Water / Deep: Dixon's, Johnny's, Jackson's, and any site whose plate lists strong current or working depth below 18 m.
New to all of this? Read scuba diving for beginners and PADI vs SSI, then come back and pick a plate. Diver Atlas does not sell the course.
Also on this chart
beginner · 3–23 m · boat
Lighthouse
North-west point, Swaraj Dweep
The workhorse slope under Havelock's lighthouse: 3–23 m, coral gardens, and enough topography for skills and a proper fun dive. This is where many Havelock guests actually get certified.
beginner · 5–16 m · boat
Aquarium
Southeast reef, Swaraj Dweep
A sheltered circular reef that really does look like an aquarium: dense fish, multiple clownfish colonies and barrel sponges in 5–16 m. A staple for first fun dives after Nemo Reef.
intermediate · 10–55 m · boat
The Wall
Channel between Havelock Lighthouse and Peel Island, Swaraj Dweep
Havelock's namesake wall: a sloping-to-vertical drop from about 10 m into the channel, scattered with fan corals, coral rock and sand pockets. Among the deepest regularly dived sites in the Andamans.
advanced · 18–36 m · drift
Jackson's Bar
Offshore east of Swaraj Dweep
A dramatic offshore bar/plateau where current stands pelagics in the blue. With Dixon's and Johnny's Gorge it is the trip divers fly to Havelock for. Operators often attest these dives.
Questions people search
- What is the best dive site in the Andamans?
- For advanced divers, Dixon's Pinnacle and Johnny's Gorge are the standouts for pelagics and structure. For beginners, Nemo Reef (shore) and Turtle Beach or Tribe Gate are the usual introductions. There is no single ranking — read the plate.
- Can beginners scuba dive in the Andamans?
- Yes. Nemo Reef, Tribe Gate, Lighthouse, Turtle Beach, and Aquarium are written as beginner plates. Most listed centres offer Discover Scuba. Dixon's and Johnny's are the wrong first drop.
- When is the best time to dive in the Andamans?
- November to April for vis and calmer offshore boats, with December–March the most reliable. Avoid planning the trinity in the June–September monsoon.
- Are there wrecks to dive in the Andamans?
- Yes. The SS Inchkeith, a 1955 cargo vessel near Havelock (5–22 m on the plate), is the well-known wreck. South Andaman has the Chidiya Tapu wreck as a separate day from Port Blair.
Next: Havelock encyclopedia guide · Scuba for beginners · PADI vs SSI · Atlas map · all Andaman plates · listed centres · what it was like today