scubajunky17
Contributor
Hi Guys,
Anyone dove the Andaman Islands ?
If so how was it ?
Anyone dove the Andaman Islands ?
If so how was it ?
Andaman Islands
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OP
scubajunky17
Contributor
Thanks dude, i had seen that one, I was looking for recent info. But from what I can ascertain, it seems that the reefs are fkd and it's not really worth the effort to go there for diving alone !
It's a long haul to get there and Indian Visa costs are exorbitant. Might be different for you, being from Wales?
I'd rather spend my time and $$ elsewhere in Asia for dedicated diving purposes.
I'd rather spend my time and $$ elsewhere in Asia for dedicated diving purposes.
GBP110.00 for an Indian Tourist Visa!!!!!!
I hope Her Majesty Gov is returning the favour with interest!!!
Last went to that country about 25yrs ago and getting the visa was NOT straight forward. I was staying at Rawalpindi(Pakistan) then and had to go to British Embassy in Islamabad(luckily not too far away from Pindi) to have my passport authenticated first. With the official letter from the UK High Commission, have to pay for that, I could then proceed to apply for an Indian Visa!!!! It took me few days to get it done!!!!
Indian just love bureaucracy and they are suck in cricket!!!!
I hope Her Majesty Gov is returning the favour with interest!!!
Last went to that country about 25yrs ago and getting the visa was NOT straight forward. I was staying at Rawalpindi(Pakistan) then and had to go to British Embassy in Islamabad(luckily not too far away from Pindi) to have my passport authenticated first. With the official letter from the UK High Commission, have to pay for that, I could then proceed to apply for an Indian Visa!!!! It took me few days to get it done!!!!
Indian just love bureaucracy and they are suck in cricket!!!!
Wingy
Contributor
Andamans we're ok a decade ago - pretty much dynamited and fished out as is Merguii Archipeligo/Burma Banks.
I have heard there are a lot of Indian new divers heading for Havelock. I'd personally not bother now.
I have heard there are a lot of Indian new divers heading for Havelock. I'd personally not bother now.
Luko
Contributor
Wingy, did you get a first hand experience in the past years about that? I'm not so sure it has all become as you say.
I dived the Andamans from Havelock ten years ago, it was wonderful as Dive India's karen guides had discovered the diving highlights of the area : Dixon pinnacle, Johnny's Gorge, Jackson's bar, etc. each named after one of DiveIndia's guide. You had to ride a longtail boat for an hour and dive into a pretty hard current sometimes, defintely not spots for the beginners.
They were quite deep spots 25-40m dived around a pinnacle or inside a canyon, often with such current that brought big schools of anything from anchovies chased by jacks to cudas, snappers, sweetlips, etc. Any fish that would school you name it could be seen on these sites, plus huge groupers, sometimes a manta.
I can understand it might has been somehow fished while the local operators tried to keep the bearings of these deep sites quite little known, the Andamans are not as populated as Thailand/Burma either.
The liveaboards would usually spread the word the place was not interesting because they dived the shallow spots of Minerva ledge for instance and were unable to find those deep pinnacles, except for Dixon's.which was soon dived by all the operators.
In 2010/11 there was a major bleaching event in the Indian Ocean that destroyed many shallow corals, Thailand likewise, though for the deeper current swept sites, I don't think it had a defiinitive if any impact.
Back in 2014 I read a report from a french diver who did his DM internship at DI and came back with the same site descriptions for the deep spots as I wrote above.
Hence I hardly believe a total destruction of the reef was achieved within the past three years... I guess we may not be speaking about those same "advanced" sites. Personally I have been thinking going back when I have time and money to : the best sites of this place were definitely not diveable for newbie divers..
I dived the Andamans from Havelock ten years ago, it was wonderful as Dive India's karen guides had discovered the diving highlights of the area : Dixon pinnacle, Johnny's Gorge, Jackson's bar, etc. each named after one of DiveIndia's guide. You had to ride a longtail boat for an hour and dive into a pretty hard current sometimes, defintely not spots for the beginners.
They were quite deep spots 25-40m dived around a pinnacle or inside a canyon, often with such current that brought big schools of anything from anchovies chased by jacks to cudas, snappers, sweetlips, etc. Any fish that would school you name it could be seen on these sites, plus huge groupers, sometimes a manta.
I can understand it might has been somehow fished while the local operators tried to keep the bearings of these deep sites quite little known, the Andamans are not as populated as Thailand/Burma either.
The liveaboards would usually spread the word the place was not interesting because they dived the shallow spots of Minerva ledge for instance and were unable to find those deep pinnacles, except for Dixon's.which was soon dived by all the operators.
In 2010/11 there was a major bleaching event in the Indian Ocean that destroyed many shallow corals, Thailand likewise, though for the deeper current swept sites, I don't think it had a defiinitive if any impact.
Back in 2014 I read a report from a french diver who did his DM internship at DI and came back with the same site descriptions for the deep spots as I wrote above.
Hence I hardly believe a total destruction of the reef was achieved within the past three years... I guess we may not be speaking about those same "advanced" sites. Personally I have been thinking going back when I have time and money to : the best sites of this place were definitely not diveable for newbie divers..
Wingy
Contributor
Not personally in the last eight years luko - I asked someone who did a fair bit of work filming there the difference between then and their visit back in Jan 17 - more than happy to hear otherwise 
- FWIW this person is a highly regarded professional so I would not call their diving sites 'for beginners'
- FWIW this person is a highly regarded professional so I would not call their diving sites 'for beginners'
Last edited:
Luko
Contributor
OP
scubajunky17
Contributor
Bump any more info on the diving in the Andamans ?
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