Scuba Diving & Snorkelling at Fish Point, Chidiyatapu
Among the sea anemones scattered across the reef at Fish Point, you'll find clownfish darting in and out of the stinging tentacles that protect them, vivid orange-and-white against the softly swaying anemone arms. For many divers, it's the first marine life encounter they've ever had underwater, and it's a genuinely good one.
Fish Point is a shallow reef off Mundapahar Beach at Chidiyatapu, a 10-minute boat ride from our dive base and approximately 40 minutes by road from Port Blair. It's become our most versatile site — used for beginners, snorkellers, DSD first-dives, certification training, check dives, and refreshers, all in the same calm, clear stretch of water.
Fish Point at a Glance
About Fish Point
Fish Point is home to Reef Watch, an artificial reef structure lying in shallow, transparent water that has become one of the most marine-life-rich features of any beginner dive site at Chidiyatapu. Artificial reefs work by providing hard surfaces for coral larvae to settle and grow, and by creating shelter structures that attract reef fish in high densities.
The Reef Watch structure has had time to mature into a thriving micro-habitat — corals now encrust its surfaces, and fish from wrasses and jacks to parrotfish, angelfish, and clownfish have made it a permanent gathering point. Bring a torch on every Fish Point dive to explore the shaded crevices inside the structure, where the most interesting small-scale marine life tends to hide.
Topography
Fish Point centres on Reef Watch, an artificial reef lying at a depth of 11 metres that shelters a diverse range of marine species — a shallow reef with a mixture of natural and artificial coral.
Snorkelling at Fish Point
Fish Point's shallow depth and calm, clear water make it one of the best snorkelling spots accessible from Chidiyatapu. The reef starts at just 4 metres, and visibility — typically 15–25 metres between October and mid-May — means you can see the anemone patches, the Reef Watch structure, and the schooling fish clearly from the surface, without descending at all.
Best Time to Dive
Fish Point is diveable from October to mid-May; early morning dives (from around 5:10am) are recommended for the best experience. Water temperature stays 27–29°C throughout the season. December to February offers the most consistent visibility and the calmest conditions for first-time divers and snorkellers.
Marine Life at Fish Point
The anemone patches at Fish Point are the site's most photographed feature. Ocellaris clownfish — the species made famous as Nemo — are resident among the anemones in the shallower sections, their distinctive orange-and-white colouring visible from several metres away.
Across the wider reef, schools of snappers move together in slow-turning formations. Scorpionfish rest motionless against coral and rock. Reef fish of many species fill the mid-water between the Reef Watch structure and the natural coral: parrotfish, angelfish, wrasses, and jacks are all regular presences.
On occasional visits, manta rays have been reported passing through the open water near the site — a rare sighting when it happens, and not something we'd promise, but genuinely possible in this stretch of South Andaman water.
Cost & What's Included
Included:
- Full scuba equipment (tank, regulator, BCD, wetsuit, fins, mask, booties, weight belt, SPG)
- Power masks available on request (-2 to -8)
- Boat transfer to and from Fish Point
- Certified SSI dive guide throughout
Bring yourself:
- Certification card if certified (digital is fine)
- Swimsuit to wear under the wetsuit
- Small towel
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Light snacks
Getting There
Fish Point can be easily accessed by a 10-minute boat ride from Mundapahar Beach in Chidiyatapu, itself approximately 40 minutes by road from Port Blair.
Emergency & Safety Information
DAN Global Emergency: +1-919-684-9111
FAQs
Yes — Fish Point is one of our most beginner-friendly sites and is specifically used for DSD (Discover Scuba Diving) sessions, first-time dives, and non-swimmer experiences. The reef starts at just 4 metres depth, the water is consistently calm with no significant current, and visibility is excellent (typically 15–25 metres), making conditions as reassuring as possible for someone going underwater for the first time.
Yes — Fish Point is one of the best snorkelling spots accessible from Chidiyatapu. The reef begins at just 4 metres, and water clarity typically reaches 15–25 metres visibility in season. The Reef Watch structure and the fish life below are clearly visible from the surface without descending at all. On a calm day, snorkellers regularly see schooling fish, sea anemones with clownfish, and parrotfish feeding on the reef, all without going below the waterline.
A check dive is a short, guided dive at a shallow, easy site to verify that a certified diver's skills and comfort are in good shape before attempting a more demanding site — ideal if you're certified but haven't dived for a year or more, or want to warm up before more challenging sites. It typically runs 30–40 minutes in the shallows. Open Water training dives are the qualifying dives done as part of the SSI Open Water Diver course. Fish Point is used for certain skills-based training dives during the course because its calm, shallow conditions let instructors supervise students effectively while covering required course elements.
Fish Point is located at Mundapahar Beach, Chidiyatapu, at the southernmost tip of South Andaman Island, approximately 40 minutes by road from Port Blair. From there, a 10-minute boat ride takes you out to the reef.
Fish Point and Light House are neighbouring sites off Chidiyatapu, both accessible by a 10-minute boat ride and both well-suited to beginners and non-swimmers. The simplest way to choose: if clownfish, an artificial reef, snorkelling, or a DSD programme are your priorities, Fish Point is the stronger site for those specific experiences. If Christmas tree worms, a slightly deeper sandy bottom at 13 metres, or the possibility of a Napoleon wrasse sighting appeals to you, Light House offers something different.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Clownfish among the anemones, a thriving artificial reef, and calm shallow water — whether you dive or snorkel, Fish Point is the easiest way to see it all.