Diving Sites in Port Blair
Discovered in 2010, this dive site has relatively low depths and sheltered conditions. As a result, it is sought-after among scuba divers having different experience levels. It is made up of low-lying rocky outcrops resembling a broken ledge. It emerges from the bottom at nearly 24 meters. The ledge is surrounded by sand. The site is inhabited by a diverse variety of reef fish such as Moorish idols, lionfish, Napoleon wrasse, and shoals of snappers. Other in-house residents include turtles, schooling longfin bannerfish, and marbled groupers. One can also spot bigger fish like white tip reef sharks, marbled rays, manta rays, dogtooth, and yellowfin tunas here. At Broken Ledge, divers can smoothly swim through the canyons. They can spot residents that are usually hidden behind the rocks and overhangs. The corals are very beautiful and attract so many tropical fishes.
24 meters to 30 meters
Advance
There are various factors that affect the perfect scuba diving experience at Broken Ledge such as:
Answer: Broken Ledge is one of the deep-diving scuba spots on Havelock Island. The depth starts at 16 metres and can be as deep as 25 metres or more. Given the depth, it is a great spot for advanced-level scuba divers to challenge themselves to a complex dive.
Answer: Broken Ledge is only meant for experienced scuba divers who have advanced-level certifications. As such, rates that apply to beginners and people who do not know how to swim do apply here. Experienced divers who go to Broken Ledge for recreational diving have to pay anything between INR 4500-7000 per dive. The dive will include a guide who’s more familiar with the underwater terrain at the diving spot, a boat ride, and, if you want, even a package of videos and photos. Some scuba diving packages also include the stay, but the price will go up or down depending on the accommodation.
Answer: Broken Ledge being a deep dive is a little further away from Havelock Island. It is more than 20 km away and a boat ride may take you around 30-40 minutes. But to even do that, you have to first reach Havelock Island, which does not have any commercial airline base. The only place you can fly to is Port Blair, which is the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. From Port Blair, you can take a ferry from the government-run jetty. Tickets are just around INR 300-500 per person. Havelock is 70 km away from Port Blair, so you’ll take around 2-3 hours to reach the island by ferry.
Answer: There are many places that you can explore near Broken Ledge. There are many islands in the Andamans, so you can get your guide to take you to one of them for a short trip. If you intend to relax, there’s no better place than Havelock Island, which has many beautiful beaches. When you are at Havelock, remember to visit Radhanagar beach, which is considered one of the best beaches in Asia. A lot of people also like exploring the Govindnagar and Elephant beaches. Neil Island is also very close to Havelock Island. There are many beaches and diving spots at Neil Island also. If you want to get away from the crowd, you can visit Neil Island.
Answer: Scuba diving requires you to control your breathing under the water. As such, you mustn't have any severe respiratory issues. If you think you may have breathing issues and want to scuba dive, you should visit your doctor to ask if you can still dive under such conditions. You should do the same if you have any heart issues.
Answer: Do not be heartbroken if you cannot explore the Broken Ledge because of your lack of experience. There are tons of amazing scuba diving sites across Havelock Island and even the islands nearby where you can explore the underwater world. Aquarium and Lighthouse, for instance, are the most famous diving sites for beginners to scuba dive and even those who do not know how to swim. The slope, White House Rock, Pilot Reef, Turtle Bay, Nemo Reef, and Seduction Point are other great places to dive. Diving spots like Jackson’s Bar, Johnny’s Gorge, the Wall, Minerva’s ledge and even Inchkeith Wreck are meant for experienced divers.