Andaman Islands Scuba Diving Information
Scuba Diving in the Andaman Islands is not for beginners. Experienced divers with 100 logged-dives or more and with advance training will be able to enjoy the expedition more. Most of the dives will be in open sea, at submerged pinnacles or banks and occasionally at uncharted sites and nearly all will be from 'live-boat' and dinghy. Drift dives and unexpected strong currents are to be expected.
Although there are over 300 islands we are not allowed to visit all of them. But there are still plenty of dive sites to keep you busy for the whole month.
Narcondum Island, 0ver 70 miles from South Andaman Island, comprised of underwater boulders and pinnacles. Here divers will encounter Giant Sweet Lips (5ft), a range of sharks and schools of Bluefin Trevally and Tuna. Drift dives will be the norm at this site.
South Button Island is home to lots of fish life ranging from Grey Reef Sharks, Yellowfin Trevally to Giant Napoleon Wrasse. More colours are found around Passage Island, south of Port Blair, with underwater topology ranging from boulders to drop offs. Usual sightings include a variety of sharks, large Eagle Ray, large Coral Groupers, Potato Cods, Rainbow Runners, Dog-ToothTuna and Bumphead Parrotfish.
Different topology is found at Barren Island, which is home to an active volcano whose last eruption was in 1996. Here one can still witness the damage done by the eruption yet fish and marine life have returned in plentiful. Usual open ocean spieces are found here in large number.
Other more popular dive sites include Cinque Island, Rutland Island and Flat Bank.
It would be impossible and unjust to attempt to define diving in the Andaman Islands is so few words. Pioneer and exploratory diving are probably more suitable terms. Here divers can expect the unexpected and dive amongst a variety of pelagic of unusually large size and number which are not afraid of divers.
