Dive Sites in Neil Island
Neil Island, officially Shaheed Dweep, runs bluer and clearer than Havelock on comparable days — there's no mangrove run-off here, and lower boat traffic keeps the reefs quieter. It's also the only place in this project where the endangered dugong is a realistic sighting, thanks to the seagrass meadows that favour them off the island's north-west coast.
The six sites span the full range of what Neil Island offers: calm, sheltered reefs suited to a first-ever dive, boulder mazes built for macro photography and specialty training, and — at Junction — the most demanding, current-swept advanced dive we've built a page for yet. We've profiled all six in full: depths, marine life, pricing, and exactly who each site suits.
What Makes Neil Island Different
Where Port Blair's sites split by travel time and Chidiya Tapu's split by depth alone, Neil Island's six sites split mainly by who they're for. Four sites — Dugong Dungeon, Jetty Channel Marker, Margherita's Mischief, and K-Rock — are genuinely open to non-certified beginners and non-swimmers with a 1:1 personal instructor, each calm enough for a confident first dive. Bus Stop steps things up to certified-divers-only at 13–20 metres, and Junction is the outlier: an Advanced Open Water–only current-swept site at 28–34 metres, reserved for divers with at least 20 logged dives.
Neil Island is also the project's dugong hotspot — Dugong Dungeon is named for them, and the same dugong-favoured seagrass reappears at Margherita's Mischief. Several sites double as specialty-training grounds: Jetty Channel Marker for Open Water qualification dives, Margherita's Mischief for Search and Recovery, and K-Rock for Underwater Navigation.
The Six Dive Sites
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Which Site Is Right for You?
New to Diving or Non-Swimmer
- Jetty Channel Marker — calmest and most sheltered
- Dugong Dungeon — calm seagrass, real dugong chance
- K-Rock — minimal current, clear visual orientation
Skill-Building & Specialty Training
- Jetty Channel Marker — Open Water qualification dives
- Margherita's Mischief — Search and Recovery Specialty
- K-Rock — Underwater Navigation Specialty
FAQs
Six: Dugong Dungeon, Jetty Channel Marker, Margherita's Mischief, Bus Stop, Junction, and K-Rock. Between them they range from calm, shallow reefs suitable for a first-ever dive to Junction, an advanced-only current-swept site at 28–34 metres.
Dugong Dungeon, Jetty Channel Marker, Margherita's Mischief, and K-Rock all offer non-certified/non-swimmer pricing with a 1:1 personal instructor. Jetty Channel Marker is the calmest and most sheltered of the four, while Dugong Dungeon adds a real chance of spotting a dugong grazing in the seagrass.
Yes — Junction. It's exclusively for Advanced Open Water certified divers with at least 20 logged dives, starting at 28 metres and reaching 34 metres, with moderate to strong currents. It is not suitable for Open Water divers or beginners. Bus Stop is also certified-divers-only, though at a more moderate 13–20 metres.
Dugong Dungeon is named for them and is one of the few places in the Andaman Islands where the endangered dugong is reliably present, thanks to seagrass meadows it favours. Sightings are genuine but not guaranteed, since dugongs are wild animals. Margherita's Mischief also has patches of the same dugong-favoured seagrass on its sandy bottom.
Several. Jetty Channel Marker is a preferred site for Open Water Diver qualification dives. Margherita's Mischief's boulder maze suits the Search and Recovery Specialty. K-Rock's minimal current and clear rock landmark make it ideal for the Underwater Navigation Specialty and multi-level diving practice. Bus Stop's gradual slope is well suited to buoyancy practice for Open Water students.
No — Dugong Dungeon, Jetty Channel Marker, Margherita's Mischief, and K-Rock all offer a non-certified/non-swimmer tier with a 1:1 personal instructor alongside their certified-diver pricing. Bus Stop is certified-divers-only, and Junction is reserved for Advanced Open Water certified divers with 20+ logged dives.
Ready to Explore Neil Island?
From a calm first dive with dugongs in the seagrass to an advanced drift dive at Junction, we'll help you find the right reef.