Havelock Island (officially Swaraj Dvip), in India's Andaman archipelago, is the country's premier dive hub: warm Andaman Sea reefs, dramatic walls, and offshore pinnacles like Dixon's Pinnacle and Johnny's Gorge that draw reef sharks, eagle and manta rays, and big schooling fish.
Destination info
Conditions, highlights, and the resident marine life.
Conditions
Water and air temperature across the year.
WaterAirDryShoulderWet
Description
Havelock Island sits in Ritchie's Archipelago about 41 km northeast of Port Blair, the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. At roughly 92 km² it is the busiest dive base in the country, offering over 20 sites that range from shallow coral gardens and the easy MV Mars wreck to advanced offshore pinnacles. The signature dives are the 'holy trinity'—Dixon's Pinnacle, Johnny's Gorge, and Jackson's Bar—a cluster of submerged seamounts roughly 18–19 km northeast of the island that act as cleaning stations and pelagic magnets for whitetip reef sharks, giant groupers, eagle rays, and seasonal manta rays. Water is warm year-round (26–29°C) and visibility runs 15–30 m in the dry season but drops sharply during the southwest monsoon. The diving season is the dry northeast-monsoon window of roughly November–April (some operators run October–May); many close or reduce operations June–September when rough seas make the offshore sites inaccessible. Honest caveats: visibility is genuinely variable and current-dependent, the best sites are deep (25–35 m) and advanced-only, and Andaman reefs are still recovering from the 2004 tsunami and repeated bleaching events, so coral health varies by site.
Highlights
What makes this dive worth the trip.
Havelock's 'holy trinity' of advanced sites—Dixon's Pinnacle, Johnny's Gorge, and Jackson's Bar—are a cluster of submerged pinnacles roughly 18–19 km northeast of the island, reachable only by ~30–80 minute boat rides and reserved for advanced divers because of their depth (26–35 m) and current.
The best time to dive the Andamans is the dry season, roughly November to May, when seas are calm, water temperatures sit at 26–29°C, and visibility ranges 15–30 m; the southwest monsoon (June–September) brings rough seas and reduced visibility, and many operators scale back or close.
Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) offers over 20 dive sites including shipwrecks, underwater gorges, pinnacles, and dramatic wall dives, and is regarded as the primary epicentre for scuba diving in India, with multiple PADI and SSI dive centres based on the island.
Marine life
34 species you’re likely to encounter on a dive here.
Dive sites
8 signature sites at this destination.
Dixon's Pinnacle
One of Havelock's most loved advanced sites, a cluster of five to six coral-covered pinnacles rising from the seabed about 19 km northeast of the island (roughly a 30–40 minute boat ride). Depth runs from about 16 m at the tops to 35 m at the base, and the pinnacle summits act as cleaning stations buzzing with activity. Divers reliably encounter giant groupers, whitetip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, titan triggerfish, barrel sponges, and—seasonally—manta and eagle rays. The depth puts it firmly in advanced territory.
16–35 madvancedDay boatModerateVisibility 15–30 m
Jackson's Bar
A plateau rising from the ocean floor in the northeastern part of Havelock, about 19 km from the island, discovered by Jackson—brother of the diver Johnny. Depth runs roughly 20–31 m, and it is one of the most reliable sites for large pelagics: manta rays, eagle rays, and whitetip reef sharks, with garden eels, Kuhl's stingrays, yellow-spotted sweetlips, barracuda, and tuna. The current is strongly tide- and moon-dependent and 'can be ripping', so the site is for advanced divers only.
20–31 madvancedDay boatStrongVisibility 15–30 m
The Wall
A sloping wall dive on the flank of Peel Island, near the Havelock ferry route, where the reef drops from about 10 m down past 50 m. The upper section is draped in purple soft corals and sea fans; medium to strong currents at depth make it best for experienced divers, though the shallower top can be dived more gently. Marine life includes large groupers, Napoleon wrasse, marble rays, schooling jacks, barracuda, dogtooth tuna, moray eels, octopus, and scorpionfish.
10–55 madvancedDay boatStrongVisibility 12–30 m
Barracuda City
One of Havelock's deeper and less-frequented sites, starting around 25 m and reaching about 30 m, so it is reserved for intermediate-to-expert divers. The reef carries thickets of both soft and hard corals and an abundant fish community, with reliable sightings of barracuda, several turtle species, stingrays, surgeonfish, and a wide range of reef fish. Visibility can drop sharply in the rainy season.
25–30 madvancedDay boatModerateVisibility 10–25 m
MV Mars Wreck
The wreck of a small wooden cargo vessel that sank in a storm in April 2006, lying upright with its base at about 15 m, roughly 4 km northwest of Havelock. It is an easy, shallow dive suitable for beginners—a short circuit of the wreck and adjacent reef—now colonised into a small artificial reef. Resident life includes cardinalfish, parrotfish, and triggerfish on the wreck, with batfish, sweetlips, crocodilefish, seahorses, snappers, and fusiliers on the nearby reef. Visibility tends to be limited, as is typical of wreck sites.
10–16 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 8–20 m
The Aquarium
A shallow, sheltered reef (about 3–12 m) with predictable currents, used as a training and check-out site and ideal for beginners and macro photographers. The coral gardens host Moorish idols, moray eels, scorpionfish, nudibranchs, the occasional seahorse, fringe-lip flathead, trevallies, and humphead parrotfish. Calm conditions and good light make it one of the most beginner-friendly dives on the island.
3–12 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 10–25 m
Johnny's Gorge
A rocky outcrop and reef site about 18 km northeast of Havelock, named after Johnny, a local dive master who discovered it. Maximum depth is around 26–30 m, and the colourful hard-coral terrain attracts dense schools of barracuda, snappers, trevallies, and fusiliers. Whitetip reef sharks are a signature sighting—often resting in groups on the bottom—alongside giant groupers, large stingrays, eagle rays, and seasonal mantas. An advanced-level dive owing to depth and variable current.
18–30 madvancedDay boatModerateVisibility 15–30 m
Minerva Ledge
An advanced ledge site where the reef edge tapers off into deeper water, allowing drift dives along its margin. Strong currents sweep the ledge and concentrate schooling fish—fusiliers, surgeonfish, snappers, barracuda, and tuna—while turtles, giant groupers, moray eels, and marbled stingrays patrol the structure. The current makes it a rewarding but advanced drift dive.
14–30 madvancedDay boatStrongVisibility 12–30 m
Where to dive & stay
Local dive centers, resorts, and hotels.
Featured operators coming soon
Verified dive centers, resorts, and hotels around Andaman Islands (Havelock) will list here — pricing, photos, and direct contact.
