Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)

Port Blair · Andaman Islands · India

Havelock Island, now officially known as Swaraj Dweep, stands as India's undisputed crown jewel of scuba diving. Nestled in the Andaman Sea roughly 1,200 kilometres from the Indian mainland, this tropical island harbours some of the healthiest coral reef systems in all of South Asia, largely untouched by mass tourism and industrial development. I first descended into the waters off Havelock expecting something comparable to the well-trodden reefs of Southeast Asia, but what I found was something altogether more pristine. The reef system here features an extraordinary density of hard corals — staghorn, table, and brain corals form sprawling underwater gardens that stretch across the sandy seabed at depths starting from just five metres. Over 150 coral species have been documented in the surrounding waters, providing habitat for an equally impressive diversity of fish life. The dive sites around Havelock cater to every experience level. Shallow reef dives at Aquarium and Lighthouse offer gentle conditions with mild currents, where clownfish dart among anemones and parrotfish crunch lazily on coral. Venture to the outer reefs at sites like Barracuda City or Johnny's Gorge, and the experience shifts dramatically. Here, whitetip reef sharks patrol the blue water, Napoleon wrasse drift with regal indifference, and schools of giant trevally swirl in hunting formations. Manta ray sightings occur regularly between December and March, particularly at cleaning stations along the reef walls. Visibility during the dry season frequently reaches 25 to 30 metres, painting the underwater landscape in vivid tropical colours. Water temperatures hover between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius year-round, making thick wetsuits unnecessary. The island's dive infrastructure has matured significantly in recent years, with several PADI and SSI centres offering everything from introductory courses to technical diving programmes. Havelock represents a rare opportunity to experience world-class reef diving within India's borders, and the government's careful regulation of visitor numbers has so far preserved what makes this place truly special.