India - Andaman Islands

Diving in Andamans is a unique lifetime experience. The coastal water surrounding theses islands is the abode of one of the richest coral reef ecosystem is the world. The specialty is that, here the coral reefs and underwater formations are undamaged by human activity.

Forming the border between the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, India’s Andaman Islands are mostly uninhabited and covered with virgin rainforest, a rarity these days. Diving is still in its infancy here, with only a couple of Thailand-based live-aboards visiting for a few trips each season.

Significantly, the Indian government takes a serious approach to protecting its marine resources, and foreign fishing vessels give the region a wide berth. As a result, marine life populations are robust, and divers are often surrounded by fish. At places like Fish Rock, clouds of surgeons and barracuda gather in mid-water, snapper and sweetlips swarm over the rocky reef, and big fish like Giant Trevally and Bumphead Parrotfish are seen on nearly every dive. Giant Grouper and schooling Mobula Rays also make regular appearances. Many sites are home to endemic species like Andaman Damselfish, Andaman Sweetlips, and the distinctive Indian-Ocean Spinecheek Anemonefish.

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