Narcondam Island Hornbill Reef
Dive site
Narcondam is 150 km east of the main Andaman chain and the only known nesting habitat of the Narcondam hornbill above the waterline. Below it, the reef is entirely undisturbed — no fishing, no settlement, and virtually no dive tourism. The underwater environment mirrors the island's isolation: enormous sea fans, pristine coral bommies, and shark density that surprises even experienced divers. Access is restricted by permit and limited to a handful of liveaboards per year.
Conditions
Depth
8 to 40 m
Advanced depths
Current
Often strong
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
5 to 12 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 20 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Grey reef shark
Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Silvertip shark
Photo: Cécile Bonis · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Giant sea fan
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Hawksbill turtle
Photo: Kevin Bryant · CC BY-NC-SA
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Manta ray
Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC
Rare
Now and then
Field journal
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Gear