Scuba Diving is one of those adventure sports which is on the bucket list of a lot of people, but is not a priority when planning an adventure-themed vacation. With a 7500 km coastline, India has some really good dive spots, recommended by PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) which should definitely be on the radar for any Scuba Diving enthusiast.
The joy of taking the first breath underwater, coupled with admiring an array of fishes and corals in their bright vibrant colors is enough to get anyone hooked on to Scuba Diving for life.
Scuba diving in India
It doesn’t matter if you are a certified diver or an aspiring one, these locations in India should be checked out. And you know what the best part is, the cost of doing professional courses by PADI, in these locations is dirt cheap compared to other popular dive destinations.
Goa
- Jetty, Grand Island, Goa – Situated near the old jetty of the island, this accessible dive site ranges from around 2 meters/6 feet to 6 meters/20 feet in depth. It is a great spot to see nudibranch due to the sounding environment as well as various coral and fish species.
Pondicherry
- Aravind’s Wall, Pondicherry – Aravind’s Wall is a popular drift diving site, covering a large area and where visibility can reach up to 40 meters, with a year-round average of about 15 meters. The dive sites along the wall are also popular due to the marine life that can be spotted, especially groupers, barracuda, and a few friendly sea kraits. Lots of diverse macro life such as nudibranch can be found be here, along with a great range of corals including stunning gorgonian fan corals.
Aquatic Life
Lakshadweep
- Manta Point, Bangaram, Lakshadweep – This colorful reef is often visited by manta rays, especially in September through December. Other pelagics also visit, including an occasional whale shark, along with other rays and turtles. Starting shallow and sloping down to 20 metres/70 feet, this site is beautiful even when no big fish show up
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- The Wall, Havelock Island, Andaman – This wall drops from 10 metres/35 feet down deep to the sand channel between Havelock and Peel Island. The tidal currents bring in a large number of Napoleon wrasse, Snapper and Trevally. Drift by purple soft coral that cling to the wall and look for Scorpionfish, Stonefish, and Nudibranchs.
- Dixon’s Pinnacle, Andaman – Giant rock pinnacles emerge from the shadowy bottom, covered in colorful coral and large barrel sponges. Barracuda hover in mid-water, sometimes joined by batfish and trevally. Stingrays and Napoleon wrasse cruise along the bottom amidst schools of snapper.
The top pinnacles are cleaning stations, buzzing with constant activity. Turtles, moray eels, manta rays, and white-tip reef sharks visit the site to avail of the cleaning service.
From Visibility point of view, Havelock in the Andaman Islands and Lakshwadeep are the best dive sites, but when the transportation costs are considered, Goa and Pondicherry are the preferred spots.
So, select your preferred Dive Spot from this list of 5 top diving spots in India and start diving!
Happy Bubbles!
Happy Wraveling!
Contributed by : Arnav Mathur
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