India

Diving in Nicobar Islands

9 sites88 species27–30 °C15–30 m vis

Photo: Nabil Naidu / Pexels

The Nicobar Islands are India's last diving frontier — a 22-island archipelago at the maritime boundary of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea that remains one of the most restricted and untouched dive destinations on Earth. Fringing reefs, seamounts, and deep channels host reef sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, and the rare dugong. With zero dive operators, no hyperbaric chamber, and access requiring special government permits, this is expedition diving in its rawest form — for those who crave true solitude beneath the surface.

Indira Point on Great Nicobar is the southernmost point of India — the reef here sits at 6°45'N, closer to the equator than any other Indian dive site.The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami permanently reshaped the Nicobar Islands. Indira Point subsided 4.25 meters, Teressa Island split in two, and Trinket split into three — creating new underwater topographies still being explored.The Nicobar Islands are home to the critically endangered leatherback turtle, which nests on Galathea Bay's beaches from December to April. This is one of the most important leatherback nesting sites in the Indian Ocean.Dugongs — rare, gentle sea cows related to manatees — graze the extensive seagrass meadows around Car Nicobar and Katchal Island. The Nicobar population is one of the last strongholds for dugongs in Indian waters.The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 2013, protects 103,870 hectares of rainforest, mangrove, and marine ecosystems — one of the largest protected areas in the region.The Nicobar Islands are a Protected Aboriginal Tribe Reserve. Foreign nationals are not permitted to visit, and even Indian citizens require special Restricted Area Permits — making this arguably the most exclusive dive destination on the planet.Campbell Shoal, documented by SSI as a 4.9/5.0 rated site, is a seamount rising from 40 meters nearly to the surface. Its nutrient-rich upwellings attract a concentration of marine life rarely seen elsewhere in the Bay of Bengal.There are exactly zero dive shops or operators across all 22 Nicobar Islands. Any diving here requires a completely self-sufficient expedition with your own equipment, compressor, and medical support.The Ten Degree Channel, which separates the Nicobar Islands from the Andaman Islands 380 km to the north, is one of the deepest passages in the Bay of Bengal — exceeding 1,000 meters and serving as a major migration corridor for pelagic species.Tillangchong Island is a completely uninhabited wildlife sanctuary where seabird colonies, turtle nesting beaches, and pristine fringing reefs exist exactly as they have for millennia — zero human footprint on land or underwater.

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Conditions

Water temp

27–30 °C

Visibility

15–30 m

Depth

2–40 m

Current

Moderate

Best season

November – May (northeast monsoon: calm seas, peak visibility 20–30 m)

Month	Summary
Jan	Peak diving month with 27 °C water and excellent 22–25 m visibility. Calm northeast monsoon seas open all sites. Turtle nesting peaks on Galathea Bay beaches.
Feb	Stable 27 °C water and excellent visibility persist. Best month for Campbell Shoal — reef sharks and schooling jacks are abundant on the seamount.
Mar	Water warms to 28 °C with very good visibility. Ideal month for combining seamount dives at Campbell Shoal with reef exploration at Indira Point.
Apr	Water peaks at 29 °C. Visibility drops slightly to 20–22 m but conditions remain excellent. Last month of reliable turtle nesting activity.
May	Transition month at 29 °C with 18–20 m visibility. Southwest monsoon signal begins — winds pick up. Still divable but access to outer sites may narrow.
Jun	Southwest monsoon arrives: 28 °C water, visibility drops to 14–17 m. Rough seas limit diving to protected bays. Campbell Bay fringing reefs are the most reliable option.
Jul	Full monsoon conditions: 28 °C water, 14–17 m visibility, strong currents. Least divable month. Diving not recommended except for scientific expeditions with flexible schedules.
Aug	Monsoon persists: 28 °C water with 14–17 m visibility. Rough seas and strong currents continue. Shore-accessible fringing reefs offer the only realistic diving.
Sep	Monsoon begins tapering: 28 °C water with improving 16–18 m visibility. Winds ease toward month's end. The archipelago starts opening up again.
Oct	Transition to favorable conditions: 28 °C water, 18–20 m visibility. Seas calm noticeably. Good month for the northern sites — Car Nicobar and Tillangchong become accessible.
Nov	Northeast monsoon establishes: 28 °C water with 20–22 m visibility. Calm seas return across the archipelago. Dugong sightings possible at Katchal and Car Nicobar seagrass beds.
Dec	Excellent diving returns at 27 °C with 22–25 m visibility. All sites fully accessible. The Nicobars deliver their finest conditions of the year — a remarkable month for expedition diving.