Diving Sites in Port Blair
You can reach this dive site by boat. It is rich in hard corals and small groups of fish. You can also spot Dugong, the capital animal of the Andaman Islands, which is also known as a sea cow. Mac Point in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) is counted among the top ten scuba diving sites in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Offering an unforgettable experience of the underwater world, the hard corals will take your breath away. Their oozing incredible charm draws everybody’s attention.
Home to a dense ecosystem of coral reefs and formations, the underwater coastal belts surrounding Mac Point are perfect for scuba diving. It is a popular diving spot for dugongs and rugged hard corals that enhance the aesthetics of the underwater world. It is a unique sight because it is one of the rare places where divers can spot Dugongs, a Sirenian-tusked mammal. Also known as sea cows, they are generally found in eastern Africa and Australia. That’s why when you will scuba dive at Mac Point, you will get a glimpse of both destinations.
10 meters to 14 meters
Beginners
Mac Point is a gorgeous scuba diving site that attracts a lot of tourists to Havelock Island every year. The ecosystem at Mac Point is dense and boasts a rich variety of hard corals like staghorn and elkhorn. You’ll be mesmerized by the site of the huge thickets of corals underwater. It is also a popular place for dugongs, which are also called sea cows. What is special about Mac Point is that it is one of the rare places where you can spot the sirenian tusked dugongs, which are otherwise only seen in Australia and eastern Africa.
Yes, both beginners and non-swimmers can dive at Mac Point. The dive is not very deep and allows a lot of visibility to the divers. Mac Point is an exceptionally great spot for beginners as the water current is not strong and there’s a lot of space to glide underwater.
The depth of a dive at Mac Point is around 10 to 14 metres. This makes it a perfect diving spot for beginners and non-swimmers. Some expert scuba divers may also dive deeper than 14 metres. However, beginners can also equally get access to great views of the incredible flora and fauna at Mac Point,
The best time to scuba dive at Mac Point is between November to March. This is because the weather around this time is dry and there are fewer chances of rain or thunderstorm. While scuba diving is open at most times throughout the year, diving instructors cancel dives whenever there is a possibility of rain. Since rain and storm are very common during monsoons, the chances of your dive getting cancelled will be greater. However, since post-April is considered off-season, the prices of hotel rooms and scuba diving may also come at discounts. If you want to make a budget trip, the off-season would be best for you. Just make sure that you check the weather forecast for the period of your travel so that your scuba diving plans are not dampened by the rains.
While Mac Point has a very dense marine ecosystem and boasts a rich coral reef, the star attraction at this diving point is the dugongs. Also called sea cows, dugongs are primarily found in Australia and eastern Africa. So, if you can’t make a plan to visit either location soon, you can still see these majestic sea creatures relaxing on the sandbanks at Mac point. If you are lucky, you may also be able to swim close to some of them. While underwater, you’ll also witness many large groups of snappers, angelfish, butterfly fish, fusiliers, and nudibranchs hiding in the crevices of the hard corals.
If you just want to try scuba diving and are a non-swimmer, you may have to pay around INR 4500 to INR 6500 for your dive. Most diving centres at Mac Point, Havelock Island offer packages to diving enthusiasts. A typical diving package will include scuba diving gear, a boat ride to the diving spot, and an instructor who will guide you through your dive underwater. You can also get a video made and get some pictures clicked of your diving experience. Videos and photos are usually added to the package, so, whether or not you keep them will impact the cost of your package. If you want a scuba certification, the cost will vary depending on how many days the training course is and the number of dives you plan to take. The packages for scuba certification start at around INR 6500 and can go up to INR 20,000.