Dive site

Red Pillar

A Shallow Reef with Vibrant Corals and Colourful Marine Life

Depth
5 - 12 m
Visibility
5 - 9 m
Entry
Boat entry
Water
25 - 29°C

Explore Red Pillar, a fascinating scuba diving site near Havelock Island in the Andaman Islands. Known for its coral formations, colourful reef fish and unique underwater features, this site offers an exciting opportunity to discover the region's marine biodiversity. Suitable for guided beginner dives when conditions permit, Red Pillar is a memorable destination for underwater exploration.

Discover Red Pillar, Havelock Island

 

Red Pillar is a distinctive scuba diving site located near Peel Island, off Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) in the Andaman Islands. This reef is known for its colourful coral formations, schools of tropical fish and unusual underwater features that make each dive an interesting experience.

 

What Makes Red Pillar Special?

 

The site features a combination of hard and soft corals, reef fish and underwater structures that provide shelter for marine life. Divers may encounter snappers, fusiliers, angelfish and other tropical species while exploring the reef. Some local dive-site descriptions also highlight submerged objects, including old scuba equipment and a scooter, which have become part of the underwater landscape.

 

Diving Experience

 

Red Pillar is frequently offered for guided introductory dives and beginner-level scuba experiences. Its relatively shallow sections can provide a suitable environment for first-time divers, subject to the day's conditions and the instructor's assessment. Certified divers can also enjoy exploring the reef and observing its marine life.

 

Dive Conditions and Safety

 

Water visibility, depth and current strength can vary depending on weather, tides and seasonal conditions. Currents can be noticeable at this site, so divers should follow their dive professional's instructions and remain within the limits of their training and experience.

 

Best Time to Visit

 

October to April is a useful general planning window for scuba diving around Havelock Island, although actual site access depends on sea conditions, weather and local dive-operator decisions.

 

Red Pillar offers an opportunity to experience the rich underwater environment of the Andaman Islands, combining coral scenery, tropical marine life and an engaging boat-diving adventure.

When to dive it

Best conditions: October - April

Outside those months the site still gets dived - visibility and sea state just move around, so ask us what the water is doing the week you are here.

What the water is doing

The figures our guides brief on. They are what the site usually gives you - the sea gets the final say on the morning, and the boat briefing always wins.

  • Depth5 - 12 m
  • Visibility5 - 9 m
  • Water temperature25 - 29°C
  • CurrentMild current
    • No current
    • Mild current
    • Moderate current
    • Strong current

    Comfortable for a diver holding their own buoyancy.

Before you dive

The rules every diver on this site is held to, whichever trip brings you here. None of them are negotiable, and none of them are a surprise on the day.

  • Minimum age

    Ten years old for a first guided dive, twelve and above for certified diving. Ask us if you are travelling with younger children.

  • Medical declaration

    You will complete a diver medical questionnaire before entering the water. A "yes" to any question means a doctor has to sign you off first, so tell us early rather than on the boat.

  • Flying after diving

    Leave at least 18 hours between your last dive and your flight. Book your trip home with that gap already in it - we cannot shorten it for you.

  • Insurance

    Bring travel insurance that names recreational scuba diving, including chamber treatment and evacuation. We will ask to see it.

This is general guidance for recreational diving, not medical advice about you. If any of it is a question rather than a formality, speak to a doctor before you travel.

Other sites we dive

Want this site on your log? Tell us when you are on the island and we will put you on the boat that goes there.

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From our divers

What people say once the boat is back in

  • Best first dive I could have asked for. The instructors were unbelievably patient - I panicked at four metres on the first attempt and nobody made me feel stupid about it. Second attempt went fine and I finished the course three days later.
    Rahul MenonOpen Water Diver
  • Only one of us dives. Every other operator we spoke to had a plan where the other one sat on a beach for four days. Aqua Nomads put the snorkel line off the same boat, so we were in the same water the whole week - and by day three I had done a Discover Scuba dive too. The sunset sailing on the last evening was the best hour of the trip.
    Priya and Arjun NairHoneymoon, February
  • They called the Dixon crossing on our first morning because of a swell, and I was quietly annoyed. We dived Jackson Bar twice instead and it turned out to be the best day of the week. Getting Dixon on day three in flat water made the point - they were right and I was wrong.
    Daniel OseiAdvanced Open Water Diver
  • Two teenagers, neither of whom had dived. The instructors worked one-to-one with both of them for the first two dives without us asking, and my daughter has since booked her Open Water for next December. Whatever they did, it worked.
    The Fernandes familyFour divers, two of them under fifteen
  • I cannot swim well and I said so when I booked. They ran the whole thing one instructor to one diver, stayed in the shallow half of the bay, and never once made it feel like a concession. I have since done the swim assessment and the full course.
    Aditi SharmaOpen Water Diver
Call +91 90000 00000