Narcondam Island Seamount

Narcondam is an extinct volcanic island 250 km northeast of Port Blair and one of the most pristine dive destinations in Indian waters — a wildlife sanctuary where human entry is tightly restricted to protect the endemic Narcondam hornbill. The seamount reef encircles the island from 3 m to beyond 40 m; gorgonian fans up to 2 m wide cover the deeper terraces, and hard coral coverage on the shallower crowns is among the highest recorded in the Andamans. Schools of bumphead parrotfish numbering in the hundreds sweep the reef top at dawn. Large pelagics are constant: dogtooth tuna, wahoo, giant and bluefin trevally, occasional oceanic whitetip sharks, and marlin passing in the blue. Visibility is almost always exceptional — Narcondam sits in open ocean with no runoff. Extremely limited access; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration issues permits only to approved liveaboard operators.