Snake Island Andaman: A Complete Scuba, Snorkel & Travel Guide

If you read only one section, make it this one. Snake Island is a dive site, not a beach you walk on. You reach it by boat from Port Blair, get in the water with an operator, and come back the same day. Here are the essentials.

Snake Island lies about 800 metres off Corbyn’s Cove Beach, which is itself only around 8 kilometres from Port Blair city. That makes it one of the closest dive sites to the Andaman capital — close enough to do as a half-day trip and still see plenty of the island on the same holiday. (It is occasionally confused with a small sandbar near Havelock; the well-known dive site that people mean by “Snake Island Andaman” is this one, off Corbyn’s Cove in Port Blair.)

The name is literal. The reef around the islet is home to banded sea kraits — venomous but famously non-aggressive sea snakes that pose no real threat to divers who don’t provoke them. They are part of a rich, shallow-reef community rather than the danger the name suggests. Alongside the sea kraits you’ll typically see butterflyfish, parrotfish, triggerfish and lionfish, schools of snappers, rays, and the occasional sea turtle gliding over the coral. It’s this variety in shallow, sheltered water that makes Snake Island such a good first dive.

Snake Island’s reef is shallow — broadly in the 4–12 metre range — which is exactly why it suits beginners and non-swimmers. You don’t need a certification or any swimming ability to do a Discover Scuba Dive here. A certified instructor descends with you one-on-one and manages your depth, air and buoyancy the whole time. Snorkellers float over the same reef from the boat and see much of the same marine life without going under at all. Certified divers, meanwhile, can simply pay per fun dive and explore more of the site.

Cost is priced by the type of experience, not by the site. The figures below are indicative current ranges for a Snake Island / Port Blair trip — confirm the exact rate with your dive centre when you book, as it varies by operator, boat vs shore entry, and season.

These are informational ranges, not a Travel Triangle booking price — a Discover Scuba Dive typically includes all gear, the instructor and a short briefing, while boat dives cost more than shore entries because they reach clearer reef. Travellers consistently report that booking dives as part of a package with transfers and stays works out cheaper than paying for each activity separately.

If you’d rather not coordinate dive centres, ferries and stays yourself, compare Andaman scuba diving packages that bundle a Snake Island dive into your Port Blair itinerary.

The first decision is how you want to get in the water. Both happen on the same reef; the difference is depth, cost and how much you commit. Use this quick guide.

Because you don’t land on Snake Island, everything here happens on or under the water. Lead with the reef — that’s what the island is for.

Scuba diving

The headline activity. A beginner Discover Scuba Dive over the shallow reef is the reason most people make the trip, and Snake Island is one of the gentlest places in Andaman to do it.

Snorkeling

If diving isn’t for you, snorkelling over the fringing reef shows you the corals, reef fish and rays from the surface — ideal for families and first-timers, with a life jacket provided.

Boat ride & photography

The boat trip from Corbyn’s Cove out to the islet is part of the experience: open sea, the rocky outcrop, and the chance for some striking photos of the islet and the water around it.

Jet ski & water sports at Corbyn’s Cove

Snake Island trips usually launch from the Corbyn’s Cove side, where you can add a jet-ski ride or other water sports before or after your dive.

Snake Island is a protected zone, so a permit is required — but as a tourist you almost never deal with it directly: the registered dive operator arranges the permit and the boat as part of your trip. A few things worth knowing before you go:

• You don’t land on the island. The terrain is hostile and access is restricted; the experience is the water around it, not the rock itself.
• Permit is operator-arranged. Because it’s a protected region, visitors need a permit to dive the area — your operator handles it, so carry a valid photo ID.
• Indian nationals need no RAP. Indian visitors don’t require a Restricted Area Permit for the Andamans; foreign nationals register with immigration on arrival at Port Blair. Citizens of a few countries need prior clearance — check current rules before travel.
• The sea kraits are non-aggressive. They’re venomous but won’t trouble divers who don’t provoke them; your instructor will brief you on keeping a respectful distance from all marine life.
• Dive only with a certified centre. Use a PADI/SSI-affiliated operator that briefs you, checks your gear and keeps a low instructor-to-diver ratio for beginners. Don’t dive with a cold, and wait 18–24 hours after your last dive before flying out of Port Blair.

The diving season runs from December to May, when the sea is calmest and underwater visibility is at its best. The June–September southwest monsoon brings rough seas and rain, and dive operators often suspend trips during this period — so plan your visit for the dry, calm window. Morning trips generally have the clearest water.

Because Snake Island is a half-day trip from Port Blair, it pairs naturally with the capital’s other water-based and historical sights — all genuine neighbours, not far-off islands.

For the full list, see our guide to the best places to visit in Port Blair, or pair the dive with more snorkeling spots in Andaman and the wider scuba diving sites in Andaman before you finalise the trip.

You can’t go independently — access is by boat with a registered dive operator who also handles the permit. Here’s the order to do things in.

• Get to Port Blair. Fly into Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram), the gateway to the Andamans, or arrive by ship from Chennai, Kolkata or Visakhapatnam.
• Head to Corbyn’s Cove. Snake Island sits ~800 m off Corbyn’s Cove Beach, about 8 km from the city — most dive trips launch from here.
• Book a registered dive operator. Choose a PADI/SSI-affiliated centre that runs Snake Island / Port Blair dives; they arrange the boat and the permit and confirm whether you’re doing a shore or boat dive.
• Take the boat out. The crossing takes roughly 15–60 minutes depending on the boat — a high-speed boat is quicker, a regular dive boat slower.
• Dive or snorkel the reef. After a safety briefing and gear check, you go in with your instructor or snorkel from the boat, then return to Corbyn’s Cove the same day.

Plan it within a Port Blair stay. Slot the trip early in your Andaman itinerary, and if you’d rather have the dive, transfers and hotel arranged together, browse Andaman tour packages.

Snake Island packs one of Andaman’s easiest first dives into a half-day from Port Blair — a shallow, sheltered reef ~800 m off Corbyn’s Cove where non-swimmers can dive and families can snorkel, all arranged by an operator who handles the permit. Go between December and May, book a certified dive centre, and slot it early in your trip so you’re not flying within 18–24 hours of diving. When you’re ready to put it all together — the dive, the Port Blair stay and the ferries — browse our Andaman scuba diving packages, or start with the Andaman travel guide to shape the rest of your itinerary.