Swaraj Dweep
Scuba diving in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)
Updated 2026-09-01 · 24 plates in this cluster
Havelock — officially Swaraj Dweep — is where most visiting divers first drop in the Andamans. The island holds a full range: a shore training reef at Beach No. 2, night-capable slopes under the lighthouse, a namesake wall into the channel, a cargo wreck, and an offshore trinity of pinnacle, gorge, and bar.
Diver Atlas keeps a structured plate for each site: surface geo, depth band, entry, typical current and vis, cert level, hazards, and marine life. Anyone can read it. Booking, deposits, and waivers stay on each shop's own site.
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 · 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.
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 · 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.
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.
Where to start if you are new
Nemo Reef is the shore-entry classroom: clownfish, a sunken jeep, and water that stays diveable when boats stay in. Lighthouse and Turtle Beach are the usual next steps — gentle slopes, turtles in season, and enough fish that a first ocean dive still feels like a site, not a pool.
A try-dive is an experience, not a certification. Open Water is the first independent rank. Pick a listed Havelock centre and book on their site; Diver Atlas does not take the slot.
The offshore trinity
Dixon's Pinnacle, Johnny's Gorge, and Jackson's Bar sit east of the island, typically 45–70 minutes by boat. They are advanced days: current, depth, and a skipper who knows the mooring. Dixon's is the cleaning-station pinnacles. Johnny's is the circular gorge with whitetip reef sharks on the sand. Jackson's closes the set.
These three dominate search results because travel blogs copy the same names. The useful difference is the plate: working depth, current class, and whether Advanced / Deep is actually the briefing — not a star rating.
When the water is actually good
Peak vis around Havelock is usually November to April, with the calmest boats in December–March. May can still run if the skipper likes the swell. Monsoon (roughly June–September) shuts most offshore charters; shore work at Nemo can continue 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.
Also on this chart
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.
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.
beginner · 8–25 m · boat
Pilot Reef
Shipping-channel approach, Swaraj Dweep
A broad, photogenic reef just off the channel, known for a resident leopard-shark family, marble rays and a wall of phantom bannerfish. High vis in season. A favourite between training sites and the offshore trinity.
advanced · 12–24 m · drift
Minerva Ledge
Northeast offshore plateau, Swaraj Dweep
A vast coral-garden plateau, one of the most expansive sites in the Havelock set. Drift over mixed hard coral, with grouper in the undercuts and pelagics in the blue.
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
- How many dive sites are there in Havelock?
- Operators commonly brief about twenty named Havelock / Button Island sites. Diver Atlas lists the full Havelock cluster as structured plates, including Nemo Reef, Lighthouse, The Wall, the Inchkeith wreck, and the offshore trinity.
- Which Havelock dive site is best for beginners?
- Nemo Reef for a shore entry. Lighthouse and Turtle Beach for a first boat dive. Dixon's, Johnny's Gorge, and Jackson's Bar are advanced offshore days.
- Do I book scuba diving on Diver Atlas?
- No. Read the encyclopedia here, then book on a listed centre's own website. Payments, waivers, and medical forms stay with the shop.
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