North Bay – Port Blair Dive Site

14m Max

10-25m Vis

boat

Site Overview

North Bay is Port Blair most accessible and popular dive site offering a gentle shallow-water introduction to Andaman diving just minutes from the city center making it the perfect first dive for visitors arriving in the Andaman Islands capital before transferring to more remote diving destinations like Havelock and Neil Island. The protected bay reef extends from 3 meters along the shore to a maximum depth of 14 meters across a series of coral bommies, sandy channels, and fringing reef formations that support diverse marine life in the warm sheltered waters close to Port Blair harbor. The site is renowned for its abundant clownfish populations that inhabit anemone gardens scattered across the shallow reef flat creating iconic underwater scenes beloved by photographers and first-time divers experiencing their first Andaman dive. Parrotfish and butterflyfish patrol the coral bommies in impressive numbers while blue spotted stingrays glide across the sandy channels between reef formations. Moray eels occupy crevices in the coral bommies and juvenile fish of dozens of species use the shallow protected bay as a nursery ground creating outstanding macro photography opportunities. The proximity to Port Blair means that North Bay is available for diving virtually every day of the year regardless of sea conditions at the more remote offshore sites making it the most reliable dive option in the South Andaman region. The combination of easy access, calm shallow conditions, and diverse marine biodiversity makes North Bay the ideal introduction to Andaman diving and one of the most visited dive sites in the entire archipelago.

Dive Briefing

"A typical dive at North Bay begins with entry from the dive boat at the shallowest point of the reef at approximately 3 to 5 meters allowing divers to orient themselves over the coral bommies and sandy channels before beginning the gentle descent along the reef slope. Once oriented divers should swim slowly across the sandy areas and around the coral bommies maintaining excellent buoyancy control to avoid contacting the fragile shallow coral formations that grow close to the surface in the warm well-lit water. The most productive depth zone is between 5 and 12 meters where the highest concentration of reef fish, clownfish anemones, and macro subjects are found among the coral bommies and sandy patches. Navigate along the reef edge watching for blue spotted stingrays on the sand, parrotfish grazing on the coral substrate, and schools of butterflyfish patrolling the bommie perimeters. Check the anemone gardens carefully for resident clownfish families and the coral branches for juvenile fish and nudibranchs that make outstanding macro photography subjects. The shallow depth profile allows extended bottom time with no decompression concerns making this site ideal for skills practice, introductory dives, and relaxed photography sessions. Conclude the dive in the shallowest coral gardens enjoying the abundant fish life before completing a safety stop at 5 meters and surfacing near the dive boat."