Scuba diving in Havelock Island

How many of us knew that Havelock Island in the Andaman was the diving capital of India? Or that it is rated as the top 25 diving sites in the world?

There is an abundance of marine life that one can observed- hammerheads, greytip, whitetip and leopard sharks, dolphins, sting rays, turtles, lobsters, squid, sea urchins, massive coral groupers, fusiliers, bat fish, parrot fish and many more.

The other added attraction is to view a sunken ship SS Inchekett which sank sometime around in 1952.

Read all this and more in Times Crest- Waterworld.

When you are in Andamans.........

Have taken these scraps of information from a pamphlet, brief though they may be but good pointers on what to expect. Information which would be expedient to know before hand than to discover them after you have reached there.

Havelock island 

Its all about white sandy beaches, lush green forest, coral reefs, palm trees, paddy fields, vast banana plantations, and a colorful spectrum of aquatic life.

The island is 113 sq km in area, 39 km from Port Blair.

Each village and the adjoining beach are referred to both by a number and a name. For instance Radhanagar beach is No. 7. The main bazaar is No. 3.

Most of the accommodation is located in No.5, Vijaynagar.

Activities at Havelock:

1. Beach combing   
2. Sunbathing.
3. Snorkeling.*
4. Swimming.**
5. Game fishing.***
6. Trekking.
7. Fishing.
8. Sailing.***
9. Kayaking.

Rains

Rains set in the month of May and continue till November. Monsoons are a good time to visit the island since it offers more variety for exploration.The rains are not continuous, but intermittent as to not hamper any out door activities.

Radhanagar Beach

Voted as the best beach in Asia by the Time Magazine in 2004. The department of tourism offers accommodation right on the beach Radhanagar.

Vijaynagar Beach

Perfect beach to walk along the seashore. The beach is lined by large Mahua trees the branches of  which grow horizontally along the ground for several meters.The Dolphin resort of the department of tourism, is built right on the edge of the sea. You can see here the kaleidoscopic colors in the waters.

Elephant Beach

Described as a stunning beach, it was once the preserve of wild elephants. The beach can be reached by taking a 45 minutes  trek from the forest camp on the way to Radhanagar.

Scuba diving sites

There are several scuba diving sites with interesting names- Seduction Point, Lighthouse, Aquarium Pilot Reef, Mac Point etc.
Night diving is allowed at Aquarium to spy on nocturnal sea animals, such as Lobsters, Squid, stingrays, which come foraging for food at dusk.

Some dive centers:

1.Andaman Dive Club.
Email: info@andamandiveclub.com

2. Dive India
Email: info@diveindia.com

3. Barefoot Scuba.
Email: dive@barefootindia.com

Connectivity
Port Blair is the gateway to the islands. Cann be reached both by air and sea.
Passenger ship services is available from Chennai, Kolkatta and Vishakapatanam.