Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep)

Port Blair · Andaman Islands · India

Neil Island, recently renamed Shaheed Dweep, sits as a quiet gem in the Andaman archipelago, offering some of India's finest coral reef diving without the crowds that characterise its larger neighbour Havelock. This small, flat island surrounded by fringing reefs and turquoise shallows provides an underwater experience that rivals destinations far more famous, with coral health that genuinely surprises divers arriving with modest expectations. I descended on Neil's western side into water so clear I could see the entire reef structure from the surface -- branching staghorn corals in shades of lilac and cream, massive table corals spanning two meters, and brain corals dotted across the reef flat like geological sculptures. The coral density is remarkable, with coverage exceeding anything I have seen in much of Southeast Asia. Dense schools of surgeonfish and parrotfish sweep across the reef, cuttlefish hover near coral heads changing colour in mesmerising patterns, and clownfish defend their anemones with disproportionate aggression. The reef edges drop to sandy slopes at 20 to 25 meters, where blacktip reef sharks patrol in the morning hours. Green turtles are common, and on a single dive I counted four individuals along the reef edge. Napoleon wrasse appear on deeper sections, and the occasional giant trevally blasts through schooling fish, sending them scattering in silver bursts. What sets Neil Island apart is diving an ecosystem still genuinely thriving. The Andaman Islands' remote location and strict environmental regulations have preserved reef health lost in many tropical destinations. Macro life is excellent -- mantis shrimp peer from burrows, moray eels coil in coral crevices, and lionfish hover beneath overhangs. The island itself adds to the experience: small villages, bicycle-paced roads, and spectacular beaches. Diving here feels like stepping back two decades to when tropical reefs looked the way they were meant to, and the absence of dive-boat traffic means you will often have an entire site to yourself.