Is North Bay Island worth visiting?

It is, especially if this is your first time seeing coral or you cannot swim. The reef starts close to the beach, the sea walk and try dives are easy for beginners, and it sits on the same boat route as Ross Island, so it adds very little travel time to your day.

How do I reach North Bay Island from Port Blair?

Boats leave from Aberdeen Jetty, next to the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex in Port Blair. You buy the boat ticket at the jetty counter or through your tour operator, and the same boat waits at the island and brings you back.

How long is the boat ride to North Bay Island?

It takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes. The ride is shorter on a North Bay-only boat and longer if the boat stops at Ross Island first or the sea is choppy.

How much time do I need at North Bay Island?

Plan on two to three hours on the island, or about half a day including the boat ride. If you combine it with Ross Island, keep the whole day from morning to mid-afternoon.

Which day is North Bay Island closed?

The island boats do not run on Wednesdays or on public holidays. Sailings are also cancelled when the port authority decides the sea is too rough, which happens more often between June and September.

What is the entry fee for North Bay Island?

There is a small island entry fee, collected when you land, on top of your boat ticket. Water sports are paid for separately. Rates change from season to season, so ask our team for the current figures before you go.

What can I do at North Bay Island?

The main activities are the sea walk, snorkelling, scuba try dives, the glass bottom boat ride and the Coral Safari semi-submarine. You can also walk along the beach towards the lighthouse and paddle in the marked swimming area.

Can non-swimmers do water sports at North Bay?

Every activity at North Bay is open to non-swimmers. On the sea walk you breathe through a helmet and walk on the sea floor, snorkellers wear life jackets and are towed by a guide, and on a try dive the instructor holds you the whole time.

Which is better at North Bay, sea walk or scuba diving?

Pick the sea walk if you are nervous in water, since your face stays dry and you breathe normally. Pick scuba if you are comfortable getting your face wet and want to move around the reef more freely. Both take about the same time underwater.

Can children do the sea walk or scuba at North Bay?

Operators set their own age limits, and they are different for the sea walk and for scuba. The glass bottom boat and semi-submarine are open to all ages. Tell us your children's ages when you book and we will check with the operator.

Why is North Bay lighthouse on the 20 rupee note?

The back of the older ₹20 note shows the view across Port Blair harbour from Mount Harriet, with the North Bay lighthouse on the island. The newer ₹20 note has a different design, so carry an old one if you want the photo.

What is the best time to visit North Bay Island?

October to May is the season, and December to March has the calmest sea and clearest water. Go in the morning, because the wind usually picks up after lunch and makes the water cloudy. From June to September boat trips are often cancelled.

Should I combine North Bay and Ross Island?

Most visitors do, because one boat ticket covers both. You usually see Ross Island first for about an hour, then spend two to three hours at North Bay and get back to Port Blair by mid-afternoon.

Is there food at North Bay Island?

There are stalls near the landing point selling coconut water, snacks and simple meals. The choice is small, so have a proper breakfast before the boat and carry your own water.

Is North Bay Island safe?

The water sports operators supply guides and life jackets, and the swimming area is close to the shore. Follow the guides, stay inside the marked area and skip scuba and the sea walk if you are pregnant or have a heart or breathing condition.

What is North Bay Island famous for?

Its coral reef, which is the easiest one to reach from Port Blair, and its lighthouse, which appears on the old ₹20 note. It is also where most visitors try their first sea walk or scuba dive in the Andamans.

North Bay Island Things to Do & Tips

North Bay Island at a Glance

North Bay sits at the mouth of Port Blair harbour, a short boat ride from Aberdeen Jetty. Nobody stays here overnight and there are no hotels. What you get is a narrow beach lined with dive counters and snack stalls, a reef that starts a few metres from the sand and the lighthouse at the far end. A lot of people in Port Blair still call it Coral Island.

The lighthouse is the reason many visitors know the name. The view of it across the harbour from Mount Harriet was printed on the back of the old ₹20 note, and you will see people holding one up for a photo on the boat.

Short on time? Take the morning boat, do your sea walk or snorkel first while the water is clearest, and keep Wednesday free for something else, because the island boats do not run that day.

How to Get to North Bay Island

Boats leave from Aberdeen Jetty, next to the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex in Port Blair. The first sailings go out in the morning, and the ride takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes depending on the sea and whether the boat stops at Ross Island first. The boat waits at the island and brings you back, so there is no need to arrange a return.

You pay for the boat at the jetty counter or through your tour operator, and a small island entry fee is collected when you land. Carry a photo ID. Boats do not run on Wednesdays or public holidays, and the port authority cancels sailings when the sea is rough, which happens more often in the monsoon. If you are with us, we book the boat and confirm the day's schedule the evening before.

Port Blair was officially renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in 2024, though most boat counters, tickets and signboards still use the old name.

Things to Do at North Bay Island

Everything here happens in or on the water. All the activities below are paid for separately at the island, and none of them need you to be a swimmer.

Sea Walk

From a floating platform offshore · No swimming needed

You wear a heavy helmet that is fed air from the surface, climb down a ladder and walk along the sea floor holding a guide rope. You breathe normally the whole time and your face stays dry, so it suits people who are nervous in water.

A diver stays next to you and takes photos and video, which are usually sold as a separate package.

Good for First Timers

Snorkelling

Mask, snorkel and life jacket · Guide holds a ring float

Snorkelling here starts right off the beach. You float face down in a life jacket while a guide tows you over the reef on a ring, pointing out clownfish, parrotfish and brain coral.

It is the cheapest way to see the reef and the one most families try first. Go early, before the boats stir up the sand.

Try Dive

Scuba Diving

No licence needed · Instructor with you underwater

The dives at North Bay are short try dives in shallow water. You get a briefing on the beach, practise breathing through the regulator and then go down with an instructor who keeps hold of you throughout.

You will fill in a medical form first. Do not book a dive for the day of your flight home; most operators want a gap of about 24 hours.

Stay Dry

Glass Bottom Boat Ride

Sold at the island as the Dolphin ride · All ages

A short ride over the reef in a boat with a glass panel in the floor. It is the easy choice for young children, older parents or anyone who would rather not get wet.

The view is clearest on calm mornings, so do it before lunch if you can.

Longer Ride

Coral Safari Semi-Submarine

Seated cabin below the waterline · All ages

A bigger boat with a viewing cabin under the surface. You sit inside the hull and watch the reef through side windows, which gives a better view than looking down through glass.

It runs longer than the glass bottom boat and seats more people, so it works well for groups.

Free

North Bay Beach and Lighthouse

Short walk from the landing point · Photos and a swim

Between activities, walk along the shore towards the lighthouse for the view back to Port Blair and Ross Island. The water near the beach is shallow and calm in season, and you can paddle in the marked area.

Shade is limited, so carry a hat and water.

North Bay and Ross Island in One Trip

Most boats sell a combined ticket. You usually stop at Ross Island first for an hour or so among the old British ruins and spotted deer, then go on to North Bay for two to three hours of water sports, and get back to Aberdeen Jetty by mid-afternoon. If you only want the water sports, a North Bay-only trip takes about half a day. Read our Ross Island guide to plan the first half of the day.

Best Time to Visit North Bay Island

October to May is the season. December to March has the calmest sea and the clearest water, which is when the reef looks its best and when the boats are busiest, so book a few days ahead. Mornings are better than afternoons all year, because the wind picks up after lunch and stirs up the water. From June to September the monsoon brings rough seas, and sea walks and boat trips are often cancelled at short notice.

Tips Before You Go

Wear clothes you do not mind getting wet and carry a change, a towel and a plastic-free bag for wet things. Changing rooms on the island are basic. Use reef-safe sunscreen if you have it, and do not touch, stand on or break off coral, even dead pieces. Keep some cash, since card machines and phone signal on the island are not always reliable.

Prices for the sea walk, scuba and photo packages change with the season, so we do not print them here. Ask our team for the current rates when you plan your day. If you are pregnant, have a heart or breathing condition or have had recent surgery, skip scuba and the sea walk and choose the glass bottom boat or semi-submarine instead.

More Places to See Around Port Blair

North Bay is one of several boat trips from the city. Our Port Blair guide covers the best beaches and attractions, including Cellular Jail and its evening light and sound show. For an even clearer reef, the Jolly Buoy trip from Wandoor is the next step up. If you want to see the lighthouse view from the ₹20 note for yourself, Mount Harriet across the harbour is the place.

The beaches most people picture are a ferry ride away. Radhanagar Beach on Havelock Island is the famous one, and Neil Island is smaller and slower. See all our Andaman beaches.

North Bay Island: Coral, Sea Walks and the Lighthouse From the Old ₹20 Note

North Bay Island at a Glance

How to Get to North Bay Island