IntermediateRed Pillar
A single coral pillar covered in red soft coral, standing clear of the reef.
4–16metres
A distinct pillar of rock rising from the reef, wrapped in red and orange soft coral that opens fully when the current runs. Cleaning stations on the pillar attract a steady stream of larger fish, and the isolated structure makes it an excellent wide-angle subject.
TerrainPinnacle
AccessBoat dive
CurrentModerate
Getting there45 min by boat
Visibility15–25 m
Depth band4–16 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver comfortable in a moderate current — the depth stays inside Open Water limits
What you may see
- Red soft coral
- Cleaning stations
- Snapper
- Trevally
- Turtles
BeginnerNemo Beach West
The shallow coral garden where most of our divers take their first breath.
5–12metres
A gently shelving coral garden a short ride from the dive centre, protected from the prevailing swell and almost always calm. Hard coral bommies sit in clean sand, which makes it easy to kneel, easy to navigate and very hard to damage anything. This is the site we use for the majority of Discover Scuba Diving sessions.
TerrainCoral garden
AccessShore entry
CurrentNegligible
Getting there10 min by boat
Visibility10–20 m
Depth band5–12 m
Suitable forNo certification required — suitable for Discover Scuba Diving
What you may see
- Clownfish
- Anemones
- Parrotfish
- Butterflyfish
- Nudibranchs
BeginnerNemo Beach East
The quieter eastern half of the same reef system, used when the west side is busy.
5–12metres
The same shallow reef structure as Nemo Beach West, approached from the eastern side. Slightly more sand between the coral heads, which suits training dives that need open space for skills. We alternate between the two to spread the load across the reef.
TerrainCoral garden
AccessShore entry
CurrentNegligible
Getting there10 min by boat
Visibility10–20 m
Depth band5–12 m
Suitable forNo certification required — suitable for Discover Scuba Diving
What you may see
- Clownfish
- Damselfish
- Sea cucumbers
- Juvenile reef fish
BeginnerTurtle Beach
Seagrass and shallow reef where green turtles feed through the morning.
6–14metres
Shallow seagrass beds give way to scattered coral heads, and the turtles that graze here are used to divers and rarely bolt. Because it is so shallow it stays bright even on an overcast day, which makes it a favourite with photographers who are still building their buoyancy.
TerrainFringing reef
AccessBoat dive
CurrentMild
Getting there20 min by boat
Visibility10–20 m
Depth band6–14 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver, or Discover Scuba Diving in calm conditions
What you may see
- Green turtles
- Hawksbill turtles
- Sweetlips
- Rays
BeginnerJuvies
Also known as Juvi’s
A shallow nursery reef full of juvenile fish — the best macro site for beginners.
6–21metres
Named for the sheer number of juvenile fish sheltering in the branching coral. Everything here is small and close, so it rewards slow, deliberate diving rather than distance covered. A good site for anyone learning underwater photography.
TerrainCoral garden
AccessBoat dive
CurrentNegligible
Getting there20 min by boat
Visibility10–20 m
Depth band6–21 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver, or Discover Scuba Diving on the shallow reef; the 21 m edge needs Advanced Open Water
What you may see
- Juvenile reef fish
- Nudibranchs
- Pipefish
- Shrimp gobies
IntermediateLighthouse
Havelock’s house reef, and the island’s best night dive.
6–28metres
A long fringing reef running parallel to the shore, shallow enough to give you an hour of bottom time and close enough to dive after dark. By day it is an easy, sociable reef dive; by night the octopus, lobsters and hunting lionfish come out and it becomes a completely different site.
TerrainFringing reef
AccessShore entry
CurrentMild
Getting there5 min by boat, or shore entry
Visibility8–18 m
Depth band6–28 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver for the shallow reef and the night dive; Advanced for the deeper end
What you may see
- Octopus
- Lobsters
- Lionfish
- Moray eels
- Cuttlefish
Night dives here need a separate briefing and are weather dependent.
BeginnerTribe Gate 1
Also known as Oval Reef
The closest boat dive to the jetty, and a reliable clownfish site.
8–16metres
A submerged oval reef only a few minutes from the jetty, which makes it the site we fall back on when the weather cuts the longer boat rides. Despite being the nearest site it is genuinely good: all five clownfish species found in Andaman waters have been recorded here, alongside a notable concentration of giant clams.
TerrainFringing reef
AccessBoat dive
CurrentMild
Getting there5 min by boat
Visibility8–18 m
Depth band8–16 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver, or Discover Scuba Diving in calm conditions
What you may see
- Five clownfish species
- Giant clams
- Anemones
- Sweetlips
BeginnerAquarium
Exactly what the name suggests — dense reef fish in still, clear water.
10–18metres
A sheltered bay with soft coral and an unusually high density of small reef fish for the depth. The water is typically current-free, so you can hover in one spot and let the reef come to you. It is a strong second or third dive for anyone still working on air consumption.
TerrainCoral garden
AccessBoat dive
CurrentNegligible
Getting there25 min by boat
Visibility12–22 m
Depth band10–18 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver
What you may see
- Fusiliers
- Angelfish
- Soft coral
- Batfish
- Shrimp
BeginnerTribe Gate 2
The deeper northern shoulder of the Tribe Gate reef.
10–18metres
The same reef system as Tribe Gate 1, entered further along its northern edge where the bottom drops away a little more. Slightly more structure and slightly more current, which makes it a natural progression once a new diver has one Tribe Gate dive behind them.
TerrainFringing reef
AccessBoat dive
CurrentMild
Getting there5 min by boat
Visibility8–18 m
Depth band10–18 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver
What you may see
- Clownfish
- Giant clams
- Trevally
- Scorpionfish
Write-up pendingWhite House Rock
In our rotation around Havelock.
10–30metres
We run this site regularly and its depth range is published above. The currents, terrain notes and certification requirement are still being written up — rather than print figures we have not checked, we have left them out. Ask us and we will tell you what it is like.
Depth band10–30 m
Write-upIn progress
Suitable forAsk us — we will match the site to your certification and recent experience
BeginnerPurple Haze
Purple soft coral and red gorgonians over a gently sloping reef.
12–18metres
Named for the wash of purple soft coral that covers the reef, broken up by red gorgonian fans. Shoals of fusiliers pour over the top of the reef on most dives, and the shallow depth means you get a long, unhurried look at it.
TerrainCoral garden
AccessBoat dive
CurrentMild
Getting there30 min by boat
Visibility12–25 m
Depth band12–18 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver
What you may see
- Purple soft coral
- Gorgonian fans
- Fusiliers
- Octopus
- Mantis shrimp
BeginnerPilot Reef
A sandy-bottomed reef where leopard sharks rest through the middle of the day.
12–20metres
Coral outcrops scattered across an open sand bottom, which is precisely the habitat leopard sharks like to settle on. Sightings are seasonal and never guaranteed, but the reef itself holds enough life to stand on its own if the sharks are elsewhere.
TerrainFringing reef
AccessBoat dive
CurrentMild
Getting there35 min by boat
Visibility12–25 m
Depth band12–20 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver
What you may see
- Leopard sharks
- Blue-spotted rays
- Snapper
- Trevally
Leopard shark sightings are seasonal. We will not promise them on a booking.
Write-up pendingMinerva Ledge
In our rotation around Havelock.
12–20metres
We run this site regularly and its depth range is published above. The currents, terrain notes and certification requirement are still being written up — rather than print figures we have not checked, we have left them out. Ask us and we will tell you what it is like.
Depth band12–20 m
Write-upIn progress
Suitable forAsk us — we will match the site to your certification and recent experience
IntermediateThe Slope
A long coral slope that lets you choose your own depth.
12–28metres
The reef descends steadily from shallow coral into deeper water, so the same site works for a relaxed 15-metre dive or a deeper multi-level profile. Sponges and soft coral increase the further down you go, and the gradient makes ascent planning straightforward.
TerrainSlope
AccessBoat dive
CurrentMild
Getting there40 min by boat
Visibility12–25 m
Depth band12–28 m
Suitable forOpen Water Diver for the shallow profile; Advanced for the deeper run
What you may see
- Barrel sponges
- Sweetlips
- Moray eels
- Nudibranchs
AdvancedThe Wall
A near-vertical reef face that drops out of sight below you.
12–60metres
The reef top sits shallow and then simply ends, falling away as a coral-covered vertical face. Diving it is effortless — you drift along the wall with the blue on one shoulder — but the lack of a bottom reference means buoyancy has to be reliable before we take you here.
TerrainWall
AccessBoat dive
CurrentModerate
Getting there40 min by boat
Visibility15–30 m
Depth band12–60 m
Suitable forAdvanced Open Water Diver with reliable buoyancy
What you may see
- Sea fans
- Turtles
- Napoleon wrasse
- Schooling trevally
The face carries on well past recreational limits. We agree a maximum depth for the dive with you before you get in.
AdvancedBarren Island
Diving the flank of India’s only active volcano, on black lava sand.
14–30+metres
Barren Island sits well off Havelock and is reached by liveaboard or a dedicated expedition, not a normal day boat. Lava flows run straight into the sea and the reef grows on black volcanic sand, which throws the colour of the coral and the fish into sharp relief. Visibility is often exceptional and the site is almost never crowded.
TerrainVolcanic
AccessLiveaboard
CurrentStrong
Getting thereLiveaboard or dedicated expedition
Visibility25–40 m
Depth band14–30+ m
Suitable forAdvanced Open Water Diver with 30+ logged dives
What you may see
- Manta rays
- Dogtooth tuna
- Barracuda
- Black volcanic sand
- Reef sharks
Runs only on scheduled trips and only in settled weather. Enquire well in advance.
AdvancedDixon’s Pinnacle
Three offshore pinnacles rising from 30 metres — one of Havelock’s two signature dives.
16–30metres
Giant rock pinnacles come up out of the deep, covered in soft coral and barrel sponges large enough to lose a diver behind. The site works as a natural cleaning station, which is why manta rays, whale sharks and turtles are recorded here more often than anywhere else on the island. Current is the price of admission and it can be significant.
TerrainPinnacle
AccessBoat dive
CurrentStrong
Getting there60 min by boat
Visibility15–30 m
Depth band16–30 m
Suitable forAdvanced Open Water Diver with recent, logged deep-dive experience
What you may see
- Manta rays
- Whale sharks
- Barrel sponges
- Schooling trevally
- Turtles
Large-animal sightings are genuinely rare. Book this site for the topography.
AdvancedJohnny’s Gorge
Havelock’s most reliable shark dive, in a gorge between two rock formations.
17–34metres
A gorge running between rock formations, dived between 17 and 34 metres, where white-tip reef sharks are seen on most dives and nurse sharks turn up regularly. Massive schools of trevally and snapper stack up in the channel. Together with Dixon’s Pinnacle it is the reason experienced divers come to Havelock.
TerrainPinnacle
AccessBoat dive
CurrentStrong
Getting there60 min by boat
Visibility15–30 m
Depth band17–34 m
Suitable forAdvanced Open Water Diver with recent, logged deep-dive experience
What you may see
- White-tip reef sharks
- Nurse sharks
- Giant trevally
- Snapper
- Groupers
IntermediateSS Inchkeith
A British cargo steamer that went down in 1955 and is now a working reef.
18–22metres
Built in 1923 and sunk in March 1955, the Inchkeith sits upright in around 18 to 22 metres and has spent seventy years turning into an artificial reef. The structure is broken enough to be interesting without inviting penetration, so it is an honest first wreck dive rather than an overhead environment.
TerrainWreck
AccessBoat dive
CurrentModerate
Getting there45 min by boat
Visibility10–20 m
Depth band18–22 m
Suitable forAdvanced Open Water Diver, or Open Water Diver with logged deep experience
What you may see
- Groupers
- Schooling snapper
- Barracuda
- Encrusting coral
- Lionfish
No penetration. We dive the exterior only.
Write-up pendingJackson’s Bar
In our rotation around Havelock.
18–35metres
We run this site regularly and its depth range is published above. The currents, terrain notes and certification requirement are still being written up — rather than print figures we have not checked, we have left them out. Ask us and we will tell you what it is like.
Depth band18–35 m
Write-upIn progress
Suitable forAsk us — we will match the site to your certification and recent experience
Write-up pendingBarracuda City
In our rotation around Havelock.
20–32metres
We run this site regularly and its depth range is published above. The currents, terrain notes and certification requirement are still being written up — rather than print figures we have not checked, we have left them out. Ask us and we will tell you what it is like.
Depth band20–32 m
Write-upIn progress
Suitable forAsk us — we will match the site to your certification and recent experience
Write-up pendingBroken Ledge
In our rotation around Havelock.
—Depth
We run this site but have not published its depths, currents or certification requirements yet. Rather than print figures we have not checked, we have left them blank — ask us and we will tell you what it is like.
