An archipelago made up of four small islands, Nicobar is at its best between November and May. Located 150 kilometers north of Sumatra, and 1,300 kilometers southeast of the Indian subcontinent, they are separated from Thailand by the Andaman Sea, they are home to a wealth of marine life, and offer dive sites suitable for all levels. While there are several excellent places to dive, some do stand out from the rest – here are just a handful of Nicobar’s best dive sites.
Shelter Cove
Featuring maximum depth at just 10 meters, and beautifully lit from above, Shelter Cove features a clean sandy bottom dotted with small coral covered rock formations. Among brilliant sea fans and gorgonians, soft corals and basket sponges, plus gently waving sea whips, you’ll find parrotfish and wrasse, moray eels, and clouds of brightly colored butterfly fish. Look for Brown Barred Rock Cod and Oriental sweetlips, Groupers, and Angelfish among the plate and table coral formations, and keep an eye out for the red toothed triggerfish and Olive Ridley turtles that can be seen on just about every dive.
Nursery
As the site name suggests, Nursery shelters juvenile pelagic fish and reef fish. Featuring maximum depth at just 10 meters, and offering rock formations that rise up from the gravel bottom, it is also a breeding ground for nudibranchs, stonefish, and giant moray eels. Despite its shallow depth and the fact that it is popular with newer divers, those with more experience should be sure to visit – the marine life is simply amazing.
Jenny’s Aquarium
Another fantastic site for all divers, Jenny’s Aquarium begins in a cavern where Black Tip and White Tip reef sharks are often found resting. Among the enormous rock formations, you’ll find moray eels and lots of crustaceans, including squat lobsters and shrimp, and the fish are here in abundance as well. Look for Blue Ringed angelfish, Moorish Idols, big groupers, Oriental Sweetlips, and large Napoleons as well. As if all this marine life weren’t enough, the coral is also spectacular. You’ll find excellent hard coral formations, plus lush soft coral and sea fans growing one atop of another. Maximum depth here is just 15 meters. Watch for turtles!
Lobster Avenue
While you can enjoy a drift on the seaward side of this site, the leeward site is sheltered and ideal for newer divers to explore with ease. Featuring maximum depth at just 10 meters, and offering varied topography that includes masses of plate coral, exposed rocks and lovely hard coral formations, along with clusters of sponge and sea fans, Lobster Avenue is indeed home to quite a few lobsters, but you’ll also find dogfish and nurse sharks here, along with peacock flounder and stone fish, cuttlefish, and moray eels. Yellow tail snappers, marble rays, and red toothed triggerfish are also seen here with regularity.
Grand Central Station
As you might imagine, Grand Central Station is teeming with marine life of all kinds. While maximum depth here is 25 meters, there is plenty to see in the shallows, making it suitable for all divers. All along this gently sloping reef, you’ll find clouds of butterfly fish and snapper, angel fish, sergeant major, and needlefish, cobia, napoleons, and even red snapper. An excellent place to encounter Olive Ridley turtles, it also shelters napping nurse sharks and the occasional reef shark.
A visit to the Nicobar Islands requires advance planning, as you must obtain a permit to travel to the region. Accommodations are available, even though much of the islands’ infrastructure was severely damaged during the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that occurred in 2004. Prepare for an amazing adventure, and don’t forget your camera!