The Complete 2026 Guide to Water Sports, Timings, Boat Costs and What Actually Happens There

North Bay Island Andaman is a small coral-fringed island about 4 km off Port Blair, best known as the water sports hub of the Andaman Islands and for its lighthouse that appeared on the back of the old Indian 20 rupee note. You reach it by a short-shared speed boat ride from Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex, usually clubbed with Ross Island on the same day. Most people spend three to four hours here doing sea walks, scuba, snorkelling, parasailing and glass bottom boat rides. There are no hotels, no entry fee, and honestly, not much beyond the beach and the activities. That is the whole point of the place.

Suggested Read: Sea walk in Andaman and Top restaurants in Andaman

I have taken this boat more times than I can count, with families, with nervous first-time divers, and once with my in-laws who refused to get their feet wet. So, this guide is written the way I would actually brief you the night before, not the way a brochure would sell it to you.

What North Bay Island Is All About?

North Bay sits just north of Port Blair, tucked between the mainland jetty and the more famous Ross Island (now Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep). Locals often call it Coral Island because of the fringing reef that hugs its shoreline. That reef is the reason the island exists on every tour itinerary. Below the surface you get shallow, clear water, live coral, and enough fish to keep a child glued to a glass-bottom boat for half an hour.

Above the surface, expect a modest white-sand beach shaded by tropical trees, a cluster of activity counters, a few basic food stalls, changing rooms, and a green hill topped by a lighthouse. There is no jetty. Boats dock at a floating pontoon and you step across onto the sand. The island is a protected forest reserve, so there are no resorts and no overnight stays. You come, you play in the water, you leave.

If you are the kind of traveller who wants a quiet beach to read a book on, this is not your island. If you want to try five different water sports in one morning without island-hopping across the archipelago, North Bay is the most efficient half-day in all of Andaman.

Why You Should Visit North Bay Island?

The single biggest reason is convenience. Nowhere else in Andaman packs this many water activities into one spot that is a 20-minute boat ride from your Port Blair hotel. You do not need to travel to Havelock or Neil and lose a day to ferries just to try scuba or a sea walk.

It is the easiest introduction to Andaman’s underwater world, ideal on day one or two of your trip while you are still finding your feet.
Non-swimmers and children are genuinely catered for, with glass bottom boats and semi-submarines that keep you completely dry.
You can pair it with Ross Island for a full, satisfying day of history plus adventure without booking two separate excursions.
The coral here is shallow and close to shore, so visibility is often excellent and you spot marine life within minutes.
The lighthouse view and the 20-rupee note story give it a genuine sense of place that most Andaman beaches lack.

Things to Do on North Bay Island

Almost everything on North Bay revolves around the water, but there are a couple of dry-land things worth your time too.

Walk the beach and photograph the lighthouse

The stretch of sand is short but photogenic, and the green hill with its white lighthouse is the classic North Bay shot. Early morning light, before the crowd lands, is best.

Trek up to the lighthouse

A rough forest trail climbs the hill to the lighthouse. It is not a maintained tourist path and it can be muddy, but it rewards you with the exact elevated view of Port Blair harbour that once featured on the currency. Wear grippy shoes and do not attempt it in flip-flops after rain.

Watch the coral without getting wet

Even if you skip the adventure sports, a glass bottom boat or semi-submarine ride lets you see the reef in air-conditioned comfort. Grandparents love this.

Eat, change, and people-watch

Basic food stalls, changing rooms and restrooms mean you can spend a relaxed few hours here between activities rather than rushing.

Water Activities on North Bay Island and Why Water Sports Are So Popular Here

North Bay is popular for water sports for three practical reasons. The reef is shallow and sits close to shore, so even beginners see coral quickly. The water inside the bay stays relatively calm and protected, which keeps activities running most of the season. And the sheer number of licensed operators clustered on one beach means prices stay competitive and waiting times stay short if you arrive early.

Here is what you can actually do, and who each activity suits.

Sea Walk (Underwater Walking)

You wear a heavy glass helmet fed with a constant air supply and walk along the sea bed at around 6 to 7 metres depth while an instructor holds your hand the entire time. No swimming, no diving skill, no getting water on your face. This is the single most beginner-friendly way to stand among live coral and fish. Best for ages 10 and up, and for anyone terrified of putting their head underwater.

Scuba Diving

A guided introductory dive with a certified instructor, usually 20 to 30 minutes underwater. You do not need to know how to swim for a beginner discover-scuba session. The dive here is done a short boat ride from the island where the coral is healthiest. Visibility drops in bad weather, so pick a clear morning if you can.

Snorkelling

The budget-friendly way to see the reef. You float face-down over shallow coral with a mask and snorkel. Bringing your own gear is not allowed here to protect the coral, so you rent from a vendor. Guided boat snorkelling to the better patches is worth the small extra cost over shore snorkelling.

Parasailing

Strapped into a parachute and towed behind a speed boat, you rise a few hundred feet for a bird’s-eye view over the bay and the neighbouring islands. Roughly 3 to 5 minutes in the air, part of a longer boat ride. No swimming needed, just nerve. Ages 12 and up.

Jet Ski Ride

A short, fast blast across the bay on a water scooter, either driven by an operator or by you after a quick briefing. Ten to fifteen minutes of pure adrenaline. Great for teenagers.

Glass Bottom Boat and Dolphin Boat Ride

A boat with a transparent floor cruise over the coral so you watch the reef from your seat. Completely dry, kid-friendly, and the go-to option on days when the water is choppy.

Semi-Submarine (Coral Safari / Ocean Rafale)

You sit in a cabin below the waterline with large viewing windows and glide past coral belts like a mini submarine. The most comfortable underwater experience on the island and the best choice for elderly travellers or anyone who cannot swim.

North Bay Island Water Sports Price List 2026

These are realistic on-ground 2026 rates per person. Prices vary by operator, season and how hard you negotiate, so treat them as a working range rather than a fixed menu. Booking a combo of two or three activities almost always brings the per-activity price down.

Activity	Approx. 2026 Price (per person)	Duration	Good For
Sea Walk	Rs 3,500 to 4,000	20 to 25 min underwater	Non-swimmers, first-timers
Scuba Diving (intro dive)	Rs 3,500 to 6,500	20 to 30 min dive	Beginners, ages 10+
Snorkelling (shore)	Rs 1,000 to 1,500	30 to 45 min	Budget travellers
Snorkelling (boat + guide)	Rs 3,000 to 3,500	About 1 hour	Better coral, families
Parasailing	Rs 3,500 to 4,000	3 to 5 min flight	Thrill seekers, ages 12+
Jet Ski Ride	Rs 500 to 1,200	10 to 15 min	Teens, adrenaline lovers
Glass Bottom Boat Ride	Rs 1,000 to 1,500	20 to 30 min	Kids, elders, non-swimmers
Dolphin / Coral Semi-Submarine	Rs 2,000 to 2,500	20 to 30 min	Elderly, dry viewing
Speed boat ticket to North Bay (return)	Rs 750 to 1,000	Round trip, boat waits	Everyone

Tip from experience: pay for activities in cash. Card machines and UPI are unreliable on the island, and you will lose your slot arguing about a failed transaction while the next boat fills up.

How to Reach North Bay Island from Port Blair?

All boats to North Bay leave from the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex (Aberdeen Jetty) on the east side of Port Blair. From most city hotels it is a 10-to-20-minute drive by taxi, auto-rickshaw or two-wheeler.

Reach the Water Sports Complex by around 8:30 to 9:00 AM. This is the busy departure window and the earlier you arrive, the shorter your wait.
Buy a boat ticket at the counter. You can choose a North Bay only trip (about 4 hours total) or the popular two-island combo with Ross Island (about 6 to 7 hours).
Board a shared fibre speed boat. The ride to North Bay takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes across calm water.
Step off onto the floating pontoon and onto the beach. There is no jetty, so mind your balance on the platform, especially in swells.

Occasionally, during peak crowds or maintenance, boats depart from Junglighat Jetty instead. Your operator will tell you if that applies on your day. Life jackets are provided and mandatory on the crossing.

Speed Boat Cost and How Many Trips You Can Realistically Make in a Day

The short answer: a return speed boat ticket to North Bay costs roughly Rs 750 to 1,000 per person in 2026, and realistically you make one round trip in a day, not several.

Here is why. The boat ticket is a return ticket. Your boat drops you on the island, waits, and brings the same group back after your allotted three to four hours. Departures from Port Blair are concentrated in the morning, roughly between 8:30 AM and 11:30 AM, and the last boats bring everyone back by around 4:00 PM when the island closes to visitors. So, the day is built around a single visit, not a shuttle you can hop on and off repeatedly.

Could you technically do it twice? Only if you took one of the earliest boats, did a quick North Bay-only trip, returned by late morning, and immediately bought a second ticket, weather and seats permitting. In practice almost nobody does this, and it would leave you rushed and out of pocket for no real gain, since a single visit already gives you enough time for two or three water sports. Plan for one good trip and use the saved time for Ross Island or Cellular Jail instead.

If you want the island more to yourself, a private speed boat can be arranged in advance through a local operator for a higher flat charge, which lets you set your own departure time rather than waiting for a shared boat to fill.

The North Bay Lighthouse and the Old 20 Rupee Note

The white lighthouse on North Bay’s hill is the island’s most photographed landmark, and it carries a nice piece of trivia. The view of this lighthouse and the surrounding seascape featured on the reverse of the older Indian 20 rupee note, the version many of us grew up carrying before the newer redesigned notes arrived. Pull out an old 20 note if you still have one and you will recognise the scene.

The lighthouse still functions as a navigational aid for Port Blair harbour. You can trek up the forest trail to reach its base for that elevated currency-note view, though the climb is unmarked and slippery after rain. Most visitors are happy to photograph it from the beach, which is where the classic shot comes from anyway.

Best Time to Visit North Bay Island

The honest answer is more nuanced than the usual October to May line.

December to mid-February: the most reliable weather and best visibility, but also the most crowded. Book activities ahead or arrive at first boat.
October, November, late February to April: my personal favourite. Warm, mostly clear, good underwater visibility, and noticeably thinner crowds than peak. This is the sweet spot.
May and early June: hot and humid with occasional pre-monsoon showers, but still workable and cheaper. Water can get choppy some afternoons.
Mid-June to September (monsoon): the trade-off season. Heavy rain reduces underwater visibility and boats are cancelled on rough days. That said, a moderate-rain morning can actually be atmospheric, and if scuba visibility is poor, the dolphin and glass bottom boat rides still run.

Whatever the month, always target the morning. Wind and waves usually build through the afternoon, and a calm 9 AM sea is worth more than any date on the calendar.

Food on the Island, Including Vegetarian Options

Do not come here for a meal. The food stalls on North Bay serve basic, functional snacks: vegetable pakoras, Maggi noodles, a few run-of-the-mill Chinese-style veg dishes, biscuits, tea, coffee and cold drinks. Pure vegetarians will find enough to snack on, and everything is cooked fresh in small quantities, but the variety is thin and prices are marked up for a captive audience.

My advice: eat a proper breakfast in Port Blair, carry a bottle of water and a few packed snacks, and treat the island stalls as a backup. If you are on the two-island combo, plan a real lunch back in Port Blair after 2 PM rather than relying on North Bay.

Things to Know Before Visiting North Bay Island

There is no entry fee for the island, but you pay separately for the boat ticket and each activity.
There are no hotels or overnight stays. It is strictly a day trip.
Carry cash. Digital payments are patchy and many vendors are cash-only.
The island has no proper jetty. You board and disembark on a floating pontoon, so keep your balance and watch children.
You cannot enter the water without a guide, and you cannot bring your own snorkelling gear, both to protect the coral and for safety.
It is a protected forest reserve. Carry your trash back and never touch or step on the coral.
Three to four hours is plenty. The island is small and there is little to do once your activities are done.
Pre-book popular activities like scuba and sea walk during peak season, or you may wait in long queues or miss out.
Bad weather can cancel or postpone the whole trip. Keep a buffer day in your Andaman itinerary.
Note your boat number or the captain’s phone number so your return is hassle-free.

Dos and Don’ts on North Bay Island

Do

Do arrive early and take one of the first boats for calmer water and thinner crowds.
Do wear or carry quick-dry clothes, a change of clothes, and reef-safe sunscreen.
Do keep your phone and valuables in a waterproof pouch.
Do negotiate a combo price if you plan to do two or more activities.
Do listen carefully to your instructor’s safety briefing before any activity.

Don’t

Don’t touch, stand on, or collect coral, shells or marine life. It is illegal and it kills the reef.
Don’t litter. Everything you carry in must come back out with you.
Don’t rely on cards or UPI for payment. Carry enough cash.
Don’t enter the water alone or ignore the no-swimming-without-a-guide rule.
Don’t plan anything tight for later in the day. Boats can run late and the sea decides the schedule.

Who Should Skip North Bay Island and Who Should Definitely Go

Definitely go if you

want to try water sports like sea walk, scuba or snorkelling without travelling far from Port Blair.
are travelling with non-swimmers, kids or elderly parents who can still enjoy glass bottom and semi-submarine rides.
have only a day or two around Port Blair and want maximum activity for minimum travel.
love a good photo and a bit of trivia, like the lighthouse on the old 20 rupee note.

Consider skipping if you

are chasing quiet, empty, postcard beaches. Radhanagar in Havelock or the beaches of Neil will serve you far better.
get seasick easily and dislike short choppy boat rides and floating platforms.
have already booked serious scuba or snorkelling in Havelock, where the reefs and visibility are a notch above.
want a slow, relaxed beach day. North Bay is busy, activity-driven and time-boxed.

A Local’s Take: How to Actually Do North Bay in Half a Day Without Wasting Money

First , understand the rhythm of the island. Everyone piles onto the same morning boats, which means the activity counters get slammed between roughly 9:30 and 11:00 AM. If you land on the very first boat, you can knock out your most important activity, usually scuba or sea walk, before that rush hits and the queues form. Do your marquee activity first, then fill the remaining time with the walk-up options like glass bottom boat and snorkelling that rarely have long waits. Travellers who do it the other way round often run out of time and miss the one thing they came for.

Second, the money game. The individual sticker prices are negotiable, but not by arguing over a single activity. The leverage is in bundling. Walk up to one operator, say you want a sea walk plus a glass bottom ride plus snorkelling for your group, and ask for one combined price. You will almost always get a meaningfully better rate than buying each separately, because the operator locks in your whole group rather than losing you to the counter next door. Decide your combo on the boat over, so you are ready to deal the moment you step off.

Third, a comfort detail nobody mentions. The floating pontoon you disembark on is genuinely wobbly when boats come and go, and this is where phones end up in the sea and elderly travellers lose their footing. Put your phone away before you step off, help older members across first, and do not try to take photos during the transfer. Save it for the sand.

Fourth, on visibility. If you have any flexibility, watch the Port Blair sky the morning of your trip rather than committing days ahead in monsoon season. A clear, calm morning gives you underwater visibility that turns a mediocre scuba dive into a memorable one, while a grey choppy morning can leave you paying full price to stare into cloudy water. When the sea looks stirred up, switch your plan to the dry options, the semi-submarine and dolphin boat, which still show you coral on days when diving disappoints.

Finally, do not over-schedule the island itself. North Bay rewards focus, not marathon activity counts. Two well-chosen activities done calmly beat five rushed ones, and you will still be back in Port Blair with your afternoon free for Ross Island, Cellular Jail, or simply a proper lunch. The travellers who leave happiest are the ones who treated North Bay as one sharp, well-timed morning rather than trying to squeeze the island for everything it has.

Planning Your Andaman Trip with andamantourism.org

North Bay looks simple on paper, but the small stuff is where trips wobble: which boat window to target, which operators are safe, when the sea turns, and how to bundle activities so you are not overpaying. That is exactly the local knowledge a mainland travel agent cannot give you over the phone.

andamantourism.org is an Andaman-based operator with people on the ground in Port Blair. We know the boat schedules from the Water Sports Complex, we work directly with licensed local activity providers and hotels rather than through middlemen, and we read the seasonal and weather patterns that decide whether your North Bay morning goes smoothly or gets cancelled. When we plan your day, we build in the buffers, the permits where relevant, and the timing that only comes from doing this on these islands, not from a spreadsheet in another city. If you want North Bay done right and slotted sensibly into the rest of your Andaman itinerary, that local edge is the difference. You can check out our curated Andaman Tour Packages offering trip to North Bay island.

North Bay Island Andaman FAQs

Is North Bay Island worth visiting?

Yes, if you want water sports close to Port Blair. It is the easiest place in Andaman to try sea walk, scuba and snorkelling in one morning. Skip it only if you are purely after quiet, scenic beaches, which Havelock and Neil do better.

How much does it cost to visit North Bay Island in 2026?

There is no entry fee. A return speed boat ticket costs about Rs 750 to 1,000 per person. Water sports range from about Rs 1,000 for snorkelling to Rs 6,500 for scuba, so a typical visit with two activities costs roughly Rs 5,000 to 8,000 per person.

How do you reach North Bay Island from Port Blair?

Take a shared fibre speed boat from Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex (Aberdeen Jetty) in Port Blair. The crossing takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Boats mostly depart between 8:30 and 11:30 AM.

How many trips can you make to North Bay in a single day?

Realistically one round trip. The ticket is a return ticket, the boat waits for you, and all visitors return by around 4 PM. A single visit gives you enough time for two or three water sports.

Do you need to know swimming for water sports at North Bay?

No. Sea walk, scuba, glass bottom boat and semi-submarine rides all include an instructor and require no swimming ability. Life jackets are provided where needed.

What is North Bay Island famous for?

Water sports and its coral reef, plus the lighthouse that featured on the reverse of the old Indian 20 rupee note. It is often called Coral Island.

What is the best time to visit North Bay Island?

October to April, with November and late February to April offering the best mix of clear water and fewer crowds. Always go in the morning when the sea is calmest. Avoid rough monsoon days.

Are there hotels or overnight stays on North Bay Island?

No. The island is a protected forest reserve with no accommodation. It is a day trip only, and you stay in Port Blair.

Is there vegetarian food on North Bay Island?

Yes, but it is basic. Stalls serve veg pakoras, Maggi, simple Chinese-style veg dishes and beverages. Eat properly in Port Blair and carry snacks.

Can you visit North Bay and Ross Island together?

Yes, the two-island combo is the most popular option and takes about 6 to 7 hours. It pairs North Bay’s water sports with Ross Island’s colonial history.