Samudrika Naval Marine Museum: What to See, Timings and Tickets
Samudrika is the Indian Navy's museum in Port Blair, and it is the best hour you can spend before a snorkelling trip. You walk past a blue whale skeleton at the gate, then through five rooms on the islands' history, the corals, shells and reef fish, and the tribes who have lived here for thousands of years.
It is small, indoors and open all year, so it works on a rainy afternoon too. Below is what is inside, the timings and ticket price, and how to fit it into a Port Blair day.
Updated October 2026 by the Blue Bubble Andaman team in Port Blair
What You Will See Inside Samudrika
The museum is laid out over five rooms that you walk in order, plus the whale skeleton outside. Most people get round in 45 minutes to an hour.
Visiting with kids? Spend your time in the aquarium and shell rooms. The history boards in the first room are text-heavy, and younger children lose interest there fast.
Outside · Front Lawn
The Blue Whale Skeleton
Before you reach the door there is the skeleton of a blue whale in a glass case on the lawn. It washed up in the Nicobar Islands, and the board beside it gives one theory on why whales strand along that coast.
It is the photo everyone takes, so get yours on the way in, before the tour groups turn up.
Room 1
Islands, History and Ships
How the islands formed, where the name Andaman may have come from, and the British and Japanese years. There is also a section on Indian shipbuilding that runs from the old dockyard at Lothal to the Chola navy, which surprises a lot of visitors.
Room 2
Aquarium and Reef Fish
Tanks of the fish you are likely to see at North Bay, from parrotfish to the stonefish. The stonefish is venomous and almost impossible to spot on a reef, so it is worth knowing what one looks like before you get in the water.
Room 3
Coral Gallery
Coral specimens laid out and labelled by type. Seeing them up close, with names, makes the reef at North Bay or Jolly Buoy much easier to read when you are floating over it.
Room 4
Shell Collection
Case after case of shells, some smaller than a fingernail and some the size of a football. Taking shells or coral off Andaman beaches is not allowed, so this is the place to look at them properly.
Room 5
People of the Islands
Life-size models and everyday objects of the indigenous communities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. If this room holds your interest, go to the Anthropological Museum next, which covers the tribes in much more detail.
There is also a small display of snakes and butterflies, and a curio shop near the exit if you want a souvenir.
Samudrika Museum Timings and Entry Fee
The lunch break is what catches people out. Turn up at 12:15 and you will be waiting outside until 2 pm, so plan it for the morning or straight after lunch.
- Morning
- 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
- Afternoon
- 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
- Closed
- Mondays and national holidays
- Adults
- ₹50
- Children
- ₹25
- Time Needed
- 45 minutes to 1 hour
There is no extra charge for a camera. Tickets are sold at the gate, and it is a good idea to keep some cash on you in case the card machine is down.
How to Reach Samudrika Museum
Samudrika is on Haddo Road in Delanipur, opposite Andaman Teal House, about 2 km from Aberdeen Bazaar. A cab or auto from the bazaar takes around 10 minutes, and from the airport it is roughly 20 minutes by road. Two-wheeler parking is across the road.
A lot of people, and some drivers, mix it up with the Fisheries Museum near the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex. They are two separate places, so ask for Samudrika or the Naval Marine Museum by name. You may also see Port Blair signposted as Sri Vijaya Puram, the city's new official name.
Tips for Your Visit
Try to go before your North Bay or Jolly Buoy trip, not after. Knowing the corals and fish by name makes snorkelling far more interesting, and you will know which ones not to touch.
Switch off the flash near the aquarium tanks, since it disturbs the fish. The 9 am opening is the quietest time to walk round, before the city-tour groups arrive.
A Port Blair morning that works well: Samudrika at 9 am, the Anthropological Museum after it, lunch near Aberdeen Bazaar, then Cellular Jail in the afternoon and its light and sound show in the evening.
Places to Visit Near Samudrika Museum
Samudrika sits close to most of Port Blair's other sights, so it is easy to build a full day around it.
Museum
Anthropological Museum
Short drive · About 45 minutes inside
Tools, photographs and models that explain the islands' indigenous tribes. The natural next stop after Samudrika's fifth room.
History
Short drive · Light and sound show in the evening
The British-era prison completed in 1906, now a national memorial. Walk the wings in the day and come back for the evening show.
Read our Cellular Jail guide
Heritage
Chatham Saw Mill
On Chatham Island, linked to the city by a bridge
One of the oldest sawmills in Asia, set up by the British in 1883, with a small forest museum inside the compound.
Snorkelling · By Boat
Boats from Aberdeen Jetty · Snorkel, sea walk, scuba
The easiest place near Port Blair to see the corals and fish you just looked at in the museum, this time in the water.
Read our North Bay Island guide
History · By Boat
10 to 15 minutes by boat from Aberdeen Jetty
A ruined British settlement where tree roots have taken over the church and officers' quarters, and spotted deer wander about.
Read our Ross Island guide
Beach
About 7 km from Aberdeen Bazaar · Swim, jet ski, speedboat
The city's own beach, good for an easy late-afternoon swim after a morning of museums.
Read our Corbyn's Cove guide
For the full list of beaches and sights, see our guide to Port Blair.
Want Samudrika and the rest of Port Blair planned into your Andaman trip?
What are the Samudrika Museum timings?
The museum opens from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and again from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. It stays closed on Mondays and national holidays. Go in the morning if you can, because arriving just after noon means a two-hour wait.
What is the entry fee for Samudrika Museum?
Tickets cost ₹50 for adults and ₹25 for children, and there is no extra charge for a camera. Fees do get revised from time to time, so carry a little cash in case the counter rate has changed.
Who runs the Samudrika Naval Marine Museum?
The Indian Navy built it and still runs it. That is why the gates carry naval insignia and one section inside covers the history of Indian shipbuilding.
What can you see at Samudrika Museum?
A blue whale skeleton on the front lawn, then five rooms covering the islands' history and geography, an aquarium of reef fish, corals, shells and the indigenous people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There is also a small snake and butterfly display and a curio shop.
How much time do you need at Samudrika Museum?
Most visitors finish in 45 minutes to an hour. If you like reading every board, give it an hour and a half.
Where is Samudrika Museum located?
It is on Haddo Road in Delanipur, opposite Andaman Teal House, about 2 km from Aberdeen Bazaar. A cab or auto from the bazaar takes around 10 minutes.
Is Samudrika Museum the same as the Fisheries Museum?
They are two different places, though plenty of websites and some drivers mix them up. Samudrika is the Navy museum in Delanipur. The Fisheries Museum is a smaller aquarium near the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex.
Is Samudrika Museum open on Monday?
It stays closed every Monday and on national holidays. If Monday is your only free day in Port Blair, use it for a boat trip and visit the museum on another morning.
Is photography allowed inside Samudrika Museum?
Photography is allowed and there is no camera fee. Keep the flash off near the aquarium tanks, since it disturbs the fish.
Is Samudrika Museum good for kids?
Children usually enjoy it more than parents expect. The whale skeleton, the aquarium and the shell room hold their attention well. The history boards are wordy, so keep that part short with younger kids.
Should I visit Samudrika Museum before snorkelling?
It helps a lot. You see the corals and reef fish up close with their names, so when you snorkel at North Bay or Jolly Buoy you know what you are looking at, including which ones not to touch.
Is Samudrika Museum open during the monsoon?
It is indoors and keeps its normal schedule all year. That makes it a good plan for a rainy day when boat trips to North Bay or Jolly Buoy are cancelled.
What other places can I visit near Samudrika Museum?
The Anthropological Museum, Cellular Jail and Chatham Saw Mill are all a short drive away, so you can cover them in one day. Aberdeen Jetty, where the Ross Island and North Bay boats leave, is close by too.