Smith Island – Diglipur & North Andaman Dive Site

18m Max

12-30m Vis

boat

Site Overview

Smith Island is the most accessible and popular dive site in the Diglipur and North Andaman region offering a beautiful shallow reef environment with pristine coral biodiversity and reliable turtle encounters in the calm protected waters surrounding the famous twin island connected by a spectacular sandbar. The reef slope descends from 4 meters along the island shore to a maximum depth of 18 meters across a series of coral bommies, sandy channels, and fringing reef formations that support diverse marine life in the clear tropical waters of the northern Andaman Sea. Hawksbill turtles are regularly encountered foraging on the reef slope while schools of parrotfish graze on the coral substrate in impressive numbers. The site is particularly 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 visiting the less-explored northern Andaman region. Blue spotted stingrays glide gracefully across the sandy channels between coral formations and moray eels occupy crevices in the coral bommies throughout the reef system. The northern Andaman location receives significantly fewer divers than the popular Havelock and Neil Island sites creating pristine reef conditions with minimal human impact on the coral ecosystems. The combination of easy access, calm conditions, and healthy coral biodiversity makes Smith Island the perfect introduction to North Andaman diving and a rewarding destination for divers seeking to explore the less-crowded diving areas of the Andaman archipelago.

Dive Briefing

"A typical dive at Smith Island begins with entry from the dive boat at the shallowest point of the reef slope at approximately 4 to 6 meters allowing divers to orient themselves over the coral bommies and sandy channels before beginning the gentle descent along the island reef slope. Once oriented divers should swim slowly across the sandy channels and around the coral bommies maintaining excellent buoyancy control to protect the pristine coral formations that benefit from the reduced diving pressure in the northern Andaman region. The most productive depth zone is between 8 and 16 meters where turtles, parrotfish, and the richest marine life are concentrated among the coral bommies and sandy channels. Navigate along the slope watching for hawksbill turtles on the bommie tops, blue spotted stingrays on the sand, and schools of parrotfish grazing on the coral substrate. 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 photography dives, training dives, and relaxed exploration of the pristine North Andaman reef environment. Conclude the dive in the shallowest section enjoying the abundant marine life before completing a safety stop at 5 meters and surfacing near the dive boat."