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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Havelock Island location page.
Overview
Submerged seamount about 100 km southeast of Havelock Island, where a flat rock crests within 8 m of the surface before its slopes drop past 30 m onto a sand and rubble base. Far from any sheltering land, the site is wholly exposed and the current can rip, but the trade off is pelagic density few Indian Ocean sites match. Dense schools of dogtooth tuna, bluefin and giant trevally, great barracuda, and unicornfish swirl over the rocks while grey reef sharks, whitetips, and resting nurse sharks patrol below. Bumphead parrotfish and napoleon wrasse work the structure, and scalloped hammerheads are sighted on lucky days in late winter. Visibility regularly hits 30 to 40 m. This is an advanced liveaboard dive that runs only when surface conditions cooperate.
Briefing note
Advanced Open Water with deep training and a verified logbook is the working minimum, and most liveaboard operators want 50 plus logged dives. The site is fully exposed and routinely cancelled when the southwest monsoon swell builds, which can be any time between mid May and mid September. Hammerhead sightings are rare and dependent on bringing thermoclines; treat them as a bonus rather than the headline. Foreign nationals no longer need a Restricted Area Permit for Havelock since 2022 but must carry a passport on board.
What you'll see
12 species curated- year-roundGrey reef shark
- year-roundWhitetip reef shark
- year-roundTawny nurse shark
- year-roundDogtooth tuna
- year-roundGreat barracuda
- year-roundGiant trevally
- year-roundBluefin trevally
- year-roundBumphead parrotfish
- year-roundNapoleon wrasse
- year-roundBlack unicornfish
- rareScalloped hammerheadPeak: Feb · Mar · Apr
- seasonalEagle rayPeak: Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26–28 °C | 25–40 m | strong |
| Feb | 27–29 °C | 30–40 m | strong |
| Mar | 28–30 °C | 30–40 m | moderate |
| Apr | 28–30 °C | 25–35 m | moderate |
| May | 28–30 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
| Jun | 27–29 °C | 8–15 m | strong |
| Jul | 27–29 °C | 5–12 m | strong |
| Aug | 27–29 °C | 5–12 m | strong |
| Sep | 27–29 °C | 8–15 m | strong |
| Oct | 27–29 °C | 15–25 m | strong |
| Nov | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Dec | 26–28 °C | 25–35 m | moderate |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Gear for this site
Beyond the basic kit- Reef hook — Current can be unrelenting on the windward face; a reef hook keeps you parked where the pelagic action passes instead of fighting the flow.
- Long delayed surface marker buoy (closed circuit, 1.8 m or longer) — Pickups happen far offshore in chop. A tall closed circuit SMB with a finger spool is the difference between being seen and not.
- Nitrox cert with EAN32 fills — Bottom time at 25 to 30 m on air is too short to enjoy the pelagic carousel; EAN32 stretches no deco limits noticeably.
Next step
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