Named after from a British General who served in India, Havelock island is one of the few places in the Bay of Bengal that encourages development which is geared towards ecotourism. This 18 kilometers (11.2 miles) long island is dotted with tourist facilities offering several aqua-sports where scuba diving is a big hit. Completely surrounded with marine waters, scuba divers from around the globe can select from a long-list of diving sites where most of the reefs are located in just a nearby distance.
Dive Sites in Havelock Island
From north to south, east to west, dive sites can be found around Havelock Island. For purposes of geographical bearing, we will assign Munjoh Ocean Resort (located in the northeast portion of the island) as our main reference point.
Lighthouse
Location: Northwest of Munjoh Ocean Resort
Type of Diving: Night, reef and wall diving
Maximum Depth: 18 meters (60 feet)
Located on the northern coast of Havelock Island is a lighthouse near Govinda Nagar. In front of the lighthouse is a reef that has an outstanding marine biodiversity where you can see vibrantly-colored corals, huge barrel sponges with lots of tropical fish like fusiliers, lionfish, damselfish and parrotfish. As you enter the water, you will traverse a sloping reef which leads to a drop off that can reach to a maximum depth of 18 meters (60 feet).
In case you have an advanced certification, then the Lighthouse should be one of your top choices in Havelock Island where it is known for night diving. As the sun sets and you explore this northern Havelock reef, you will be amazed to see that nocturnal animals are out where many have seen octopus and lobsters.
Aquarium
Location: West of Munjoh Ocean Resort
Type of Diving: Reef diving
Maximum Depth: 12 meters (40 feet)
The Aquarium is one of the famous dive spots in Havelock Island that is recommended for all levels of certification. Situated on the northwestern coast of Havelock Island, the Aquarium is a shallow fringing type of reef system that only goes to a maximum depth of 12 meters (40 feet). While it can sometimes be subjected to water current, it is often mild and can be managed even by newbies. This shallow reef is filled with both hard and soft corals. This fringing reef houses a lot of tropical fish which is dominated by the colorful damselfish and small Anthias.
Word of Advice: do not forget to bring your underwater camera as this is a good spot for macro and wild angle photography.
Mac Point
Location: South of Munjoh Ocean Resort
Type of Diving: Reef Diving
Maximum Depth: 15 meters (50 feet)
If we say big boys of the sea, the first thing that comes in to our minds are sharks. But here in Havelock Island, the big boys are relatively calm and gentle. What we are talking about are sea cows or commonly called as dugongs.
There are two ways to interact with dugongs in Mac Point. Surface interaction can be done when dugongs ascend to breath. You have to remember that they are not fish and has no gills. They are marine mammals and needs to go to the surface to breath in air. Underwater interaction happens when they roam around the reef where you usually see Pilot fish swimming with them on the side.
Barracuda City
Location: NE offshore from Munjoh Ocean Resort
Type of Diving: Wall, Deep and Reef Diving
Maximum Depth: 30 meters (100 feet)
If you are an experienced diver and wishes to explore far flung dive sites that are relatively virgin in state, then go out heading towards northeast offshore of Havelock Island. As the name suggest, this offshore reef is filled with barracudas that usually goes in groups called school.
As you enter the water, you will follow a reef that slopes down to 15 meters (50 feet). This is the part where the schooling barracudas are often seen. At the edge of the slope is a wall that drops down to 30 meters (100 feet).
Aside from the long list of tropical fish you can see like surgeonfish, stingrays, butterflyfish, angelfish, wrasse, partofish and a lot more, sea turtles have become a popular reef resident in Barracuda City where many divers have seen Hawksbill and Green Sea Turtles.
Minerva Ledge
Location: East offshore from Munjoh Island Resort
Type of Diving: Reef Diving
Maximum Depth: 20 meters (65 feet)
Another offshore diving site in Havelock takes you traveling towards the eastern side of the island. Many have considered Minerva Ledge as the epitome of Havelock’s dive sites, especially when it comes to coral and fish diversity. Spread across this relatively large reef are gorgonians like sea fans, barrel sponge, soft and hard corals and a lot of big fish like stingrays, barracudas and tunas. Further, the good thing with diving in Minerva Ledge is that all these marine biodiversity is complimented with good water clarity where visibility can exceed 30 meters (100 feet).
Video courtesy from Mangesh Karandikar
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