Coral Island Andaman: Where It Is, What to Do & How to Reach

If you have been researching water sports in the Andamans, you have almost certainly seen the name Coral Island. You may also have noticed it does not appear on any official map. That is because Coral Island Andaman is the tourism name for North Bay Island — a small island just off Port Blair that happens to sit beside one of the most accessible coral reefs in the archipelago.

For most travellers, it is the first island hop of the trip, usually on day one or two, and it is where most first-time sea walks and introductory dives in the Andamans take place. Here is everything you need to plan it.

Coral Island, Andaman, at a Glance

What is Coral Island in the Andaman Islands?

Coral Island is not a separate island. It is North Bay Island, and the nickname stuck for a straightforward reason: the reef here starts within a few metres of the beach, in shallow water, and you can see live coral without being a swimmer or a diver.

That accessibility is the whole appeal. Most good coral in the Andamans requires a boat ride to a dive site or a trek-and-boat combination to Elephant Beach. At North Bay, the reef sits close enough to shore that a glass-bottom boat can float over it, a semi-submarine can cruise through it, and a complete beginner can walk on the seabed wearing a helmet. For families, nervous first-timers and anyone short on time, it is the easiest coral experience in the islands.

The island itself is small — a curved beach, a tree line, a cluster of activity counters and operator shacks, and a lighthouse on the ridge. There are no hotels, no roads and no overnight stays. You arrive by boat in the morning, do two or three activities, eat something from a stall, and leave by mid-afternoon.

The North Bay lighthouse and the ₹20 note — what's actually true. You will read everywhere that the North Bay lighthouse appears on the Indian ₹20 note. The accurate version is more specific and worth knowing before you go looking for it.

The reverse of the older Mahatma Gandhi Series ₹20 note carried an Andaman scene — the view from Mount Harriet (now Mount Manipur), looking out across the harbour towards North Bay, with the lighthouse in the frame. So the connection is real, but it is the Mount Harriet vantage point that the note depicted, not the lighthouse on its own.

More importantly, the note changed. Since the 2019 Mahatma Gandhi New Series ₹20 note, the reverse shows the Ellora Caves, not the Andamans. If you want to see the note the island is famous for, you need an older ₹20 note, and if you want the actual view, you need to go up to Mount Harriet, which is a separate half-day trip from Port Blair rather than something you see from the island.

Where Is Coral Island Located?

North Bay Island sits in Port Blair harbour, roughly 10 km north-east of Port Blair by sea, close to the harbour mouth and almost directly across the water from Mount Harriet.

It is one of three small islands that make up Port Blair's cluster of half-day boat trips, and knowing how they relate to each other makes planning much easier:

Map showing Coral Island (North Bay Island), about 10 km northeast of Port Blair, with Ross Island 2 km east and Viper Island 5 km southwest

• North Bay Island (Coral Island) — about 10 km out, 20 minutes by speedboat. Water sports and coral islands.
• Ross Island (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep) — only about 2 km from Port Blair, a 15–20 minute boat ride. Colonial ruins, deer and peacocks. This is the history island, and it pairs naturally with North Bay on a single morning.
• Viper Island — about 5 km away on the other side, reached by harbour cruise. The pre-Cellular Jail prison site and gallows. Less visited, and usually a separate trip.

All three leave from the same side of Port Blair, which is why the Ross Island and North Bay combination is sold as one ticket almost everywhere.

How to Reach Coral Island from Port Blair

There is only one way in: a boat from Port Blair. No ferries from Havelock or Neil go to North Bay, so this excursion is a Port Blair day — plan it for the start or the end of your trip, when you are already in the capital.

Where boats leave from. Boats for North Bay and Ross Island depart from the jetty at the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex in Aberdeen, central Port Blair. Tickets are sold at counters inside the complex. This is a different jetty from Phoenix Bay and Haddo Wharf, which handle the inter-island ferries — worth getting right, because they are several kilometres apart and a mix-up costs you the morning.

Two ways to book it:

North Bay only. A direct shared speed boat across and back, with the boat waiting while you are on the island. The crossing takes about 20 minutes each way, and the whole outing runs 3 to 4 hours. Choose this if you want maximum time in the water and are not interested in the ruins.

Ross Island + North Bay combined. The far more popular option, and the better value. One boat does both islands in a single morning — usually Ross Island first, then North Bay — and runs 6 to 7 hours in total. You get the colonial history and the coral in one trip, and it costs considerably less than booking two separate outings.

Boat timings. Departures run from roughly 8:30 am to 11:30 am, with the last boats bringing visitors back by around 4:00 pm. Aim to be at the complex by 8:30 or 9:00 am at the latest. Earlier boats mean calmer water, clearer visibility and fewer people at the activity counters — and because every operator works to the same return deadline, a late start simply means less time on the island, not a later finish.

Ticket costs. Expect roughly ₹450 to ₹1,000 per person for the return boat, depending on whether you take a shared speed boat or a slower government boat and on the season. Private speed boats can be chartered for a flat rate if you want to travel on your schedule. There is no entry fee for the island itself.

How to book. Tickets can be bought at the Water Sports Complex counters on the day, but during the December–January peak the morning boats fill early, and queues build. Most travellers find it easier to have the boat and the activities arranged as part of their itinerary — our Andaman holiday packages include the Port Blair sightseeing day with the Ross Island and North Bay trip already booked, which removes the one morning of the trip where queueing can genuinely cost you a session.

Things to Do on Coral Island

Nearly everyone comes for the water. Here is what is actually available and who each activity suits.

Snorkelling. This is the reason the island earned its nickname. The reef begins close to shore in shallow, generally calm water, so snorkelling here requires no experience — you can take gear and go in from the beach or take a short boat out to a slightly deeper patch with a guide. Expect hard and soft corals, parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish and the occasional reef shark at a distance. Visibility is best in the morning.

Also read: Best snorkeling spots in Andaman 

Sea walking — no swimming needed. North Bay is one of only two places in the Andamans to offer this experience, and it is the main reason most people come. You wear a weighted helmet fed with a continuous air supply, and an instructor walks you along the seabed at a depth of around 6 to 8 metres. You breathe normally, your head stays dry, and you do not need to be able to swim. Sessions last 20 to 25 minutes underwater, usually with a minimum age of around 10. If you have always wanted to be in a reef rather than looking down at it, this dive is the one.

Scuba diving for beginners. Introductory dives run from North Bay with no certification required. After a short briefing, you descend with an instructor to a depth of about 8 to 12 metres for 20 to 30 minutes. The reef here is not the archipelago's best dive site — serious divers head to Havelock — but as a first dive, in calm shallow water a few minutes from shore, it is well suited.

Semi-submarine coral safari. A boat with a submerged viewing cabin that cruises over the reef while you sit at eye level with the coral through large windows. You stay completely dry. This is the best look at the reef available anywhere in the islands for grandparents, young children, and anyone who does not want to get in the water.

Glass-bottom boat ride. The simpler, cheaper version — a boat with a transparent floor panel, drifting over the shallow coral for 20 to 30 minutes. It's shorter and less immersive than the semi-submarine, but it does the job, and it suits small children.

Jet skiing, speedboat and parasailing. The adrenaline cluster is all run from the beach. Jet skis go out with an instructor for 10 to 15 minutes. Parasailing is boat-towed, lasts only a few minutes in the air, and gives you a view back across the harbour. Banana boat rides and speedboat joyrides are usually available too, depending on the day and the sea.

Beach time and photography. The beach is narrow and gets busy, so this is not a place to settle in for the day — but the stretch of shallow turquoise water against the tree line photographs beautifully, particularly in the first hour after the boats arrive. The lighthouse on the ridge is the other shot everyone takes.

Want the whole Port Blair sightseeing day handled? The Andaman Coastal Crusade includes the Ross Island and North Bay trip alongside Havelock and Neil Island, at a pace that leaves room for activities rather than rushing between jetties.

Water Sports Prices at Coral Island (2026)

Prices at North Bay are set by individual operators on the beach rather than centrally, so they move with the season, the crowd and your willingness to ask. The ranges below reflect what multiple operators were quoting through 2026 — treat them as a budgeting guide, not a fixed tariff.

Three things worth knowing about these prices:

Combination deals are where the savings are. Operators bundle sea walks with snorkelling or scuba with glass-bottom boat, at well below the sum of the parts. Decide what you want before you reach the counters and ask for a package.

Prices are softest on quiet days and in shoulder season and firmest between Christmas and mid-January. In peak week, popular slots sell out rather than being discounted.

Photos and video are almost always extra, typically a few hundred rupees to a thousand, and the pitch comes after you have already committed. Settle it upfront, and check whether the footage is handed over on the spot or emailed later.

Best Time to Visit Coral Island

Best months: October to May. This is the dry season, with calm seas, good underwater visibility and all activities running normally. December to March is the best time, with the calmest water of the year and the clearest coral viewing.

March to May brings warmer days and genuinely excellent visibility, often the best of the year for diving and snorkelling, but it can be very hot on the beach by mid-morning.

June to September is monsoon, and this period is where it matters more than at most Andaman sites. North Bay is an open-water boat trip, and when the sea is rough, the boats do not sail. Water sports are suspended on short notice, often in the morning for that day, and sea walking and scuba are the first to go because they need settled water. You may still have a good visit in a monsoon lull — but you cannot plan around it, so do not make North Bay the only thing you have scheduled for a monsoon trip.

Also read: Best time to visit Andaman 

Best time of day: as early as you can. Morning water is calmer and clearer, the activity counters are not yet backed up, and the beach is still comfortable. By midday the light is harsh, visibility drops as the water gets churned, and queues for sea walking can run long. Catch one of the first boats out.

One scheduling note: activities at North Bay can be suspended on any day, in any season, if harbour conditions change. If a specific activity is the reason for your visit — usually a sea walk — plan to keep a spare morning free in your Port Blair itinerary rather than booking it on the one day you have.

Coral Island for Families, Kids & Non-Swimmers

This location is where North Bay genuinely outperforms every other water-sports site in the Andamans, and it is worth understanding why.

Nobody in your group has to swim. The semi-submarine and the glass-bottom boat keep you completely dry while giving you a proper look at live coral. Sea walking needs no swimming ability at all — you walk on the seabed breathing normally through a helmet. Snorkelling from the shallow shore with a float works for most nervous adults. A family where one person swims and three stay onshore can still have a full day here, and that is unusual.

It is short and close. The boat ride takes twenty minutes, and you can spend three to four hours on the island. Compare that with Elephant Beach, which requires a ferry to Havelock plus a boat or a 1.5 km forest trek — considerably more demanding with young children or older parents.

Practical notes for families:

• Age minimums are typically 8 for snorkelling, 10 for sea walking, 10 for scuba and jet ski, and 12 for parasailing. Operators vary, so confirm at the counter.
• Start with the semi-submarine if children are hesitant. Seeing the coral from inside a dry cabin often convinces a child who refused a mask ten minutes earlier.
• Shade is limited. The beach is narrow, and the tree line only covers part of it. Bring hats and plan activities for the morning.
• There are no proper medical facilities on the island. Carry any medication your group needs rather than assuming you can buy it there.
• Keep the day loose. Two activities plus beach time is a comfortable morning for a family. Four is a rush, and someone will end up miserable.

Our family guide to Andaman covers how to pace a whole island trip around children, and an Andaman and Nicobar package for family can be built with shorter sightseeing days and the dry-activity options booked in advance.

Coral Island vs Elephant Beach: Which Is Better for Coral?

These are the Andamans' two headline shallow-reef sites, and travellers often ask which one to pick. The honest answer is that they are not really competing — they sit on different islands and suit different trips.

Choose North Bay if your Port Blair time is limited, if anyone in your group cannot swim, if you want sea walking or a semi-submarine ride, or if you are travelling with children or older parents. The sheer range of dry and beginner-friendly options is unmatched.

Choose Elephant Beach if you are already spending nights on Havelock, and your priority is the reef itself. The coral is better, the water is usually clearer, and the setting is far prettier.

And if you can, do both. Most well-paced itineraries include North Bay on the Port Blair sightseeing day and Elephant Beach from Havelock, which is the right choice for anyone serious about snorkelling. 

Travelling as a couple? The Honeymoon Sunset Escape covers the Port Blair sightseeing day, including North Bay, then moves you on to beachfront stays in Havelock and Neil Island.

Suggested Half-Day Itinerary: Ross Island + Coral Island

This is how the combined trip actually runs, and it is the single most common Port Blair morning in the Andamans.

7:30 am — Breakfast at your hotel. Eat properly; food on the islands is limited to stalls.

8:15 am — Reach the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex at Aberdeen. Collect tickets and confirm your boat.

8:45 am — Board. The crossing to Ross Island takes 15–20 minutes.

9:00 am – 10:30 am — Ross Island. The colonial ruins, the church, the bakery, the Japanese bunkers, and the deer and peacocks that have taken the place over. About 90 minutes is about right. Wear shoes you can walk in.

10:45 am — Reboard for North Bay, around 20 minutes across the harbour.

11:15 am – 2:30 pm — Coral Island. Head straight to the activity counters and book before the queues build. A comfortable sequence: sea walk or scuba first while the water is clearest, then snorkelling, then the semi-submarine or glass-bottom boat, with beach time and a snack in between.

2:45 pm — Boat back to Port Blair, arriving around 3:15–3:30 pm.

Rest of the day — You still have an afternoon. Most people use it for the Cellular Jail and the evening light-and-sound show, which is a 10-minute drive from the jetty. It makes for a full but very satisfying day — coral in the morning, history in the evening.

A practical note on sequencing your whole trip: do this day before you head out to Havelock and Neil, not after. If weather cancels your activities, you still have the back half of your trip to reschedule. Leave it to your last morning, and a rough sea costs you the experience entirely. When you book your ferry from Port Blair to Havelock, plan the North Bay day for the morning before you sail.

Also read: Top 10 Beaches in Andaman Islands

Food & Facilities on Coral Island

Keep your expectations modest. North Bay is a day-visit island with basic infrastructure and nothing resembling a restaurant.

Food. A handful of stalls and small shacks sell the usual — Maggi, omelettes, sandwiches, samosas, biscuits, chips, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Fresh tender coconut is widely available and is the best thing on the island in the heat. Vegetarians will find something, though choice is thin. Prices run well above Port Blair rates, which is what island supply costs look like. Eat a real breakfast before you leave.

Changing rooms and toilets. Basic changing facilities and washrooms exist near the activity area. They are functional and not much more. Carry your towel and a dry bag, and wear your swimwear under your clothes so you only need to change once on the way back.

Lockers and valuables. There is no reliable locker facility. Take only what you need, leave the rest at your hotel, and keep phones and cameras in a waterproof pouch. Operators will hold a bag while you are in the water, but that is a courtesy, not a secure arrangement.

Mobile network. Patchy to non-existent. Do not count on being reachable, and do not rely on UPI—several operators take cards, but many do not, and the network drops out regularly.

No accommodation. Nobody stays overnight on North Bay. There are no hotels, no camping and no permission for either. If you want to be close by, stay in Port Blair and compare Hotels in Port Blair near Aberdeen — that puts you within a few minutes of the jetty for an early boat.

Travel Tips & Rules

What to carry: swimwear worn under your clothes, a quick-dry towel, a change of clothes in a plastic bag, a hat, sunglasses, flip-flops plus shoes for Ross Island, a waterproof phone pouch, drinking water, and cash — plenty of it, since card acceptance is unreliable and ATMs do not exist on the island.

Use reef-safe sunscreen, and apply it before you leave. Conventional sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate damage coral, and at a site this shallow and this busy, the cumulative effect is real. Mineral formulations with zinc oxide are the alternative. Even better, consider wearing a rash guard and avoiding chemicals altogether.

Do not touch, stand on, or take coral. Coral is a living animal, and a single careless step kills growth that took years. It is also illegal to remove coral or shells from the Andamans, and bags are checked at the airport. Keep your fins up, stay horizontal while snorkelling, and never hold onto the reef to steady yourself.

Do not feed the fish. Biscuits and bread damage reef fish health and alter their behaviour. Some operators still encourage it. Decline.

Choose a licensed operator, and check the gear. Ask to see certification for scuba and sea walk operators, and look at the equipment before you commit — regulators, helmets and life jackets should be in obviously excellent condition. A properly licensed operator will have no problem with the question. Walk away from anyone who does.

Agree on the full price before you start. Confirm what is included, whether photos cost extra, and what happens if conditions cut the activity short. Ensure it is it clear at the counter rather than on the beach afterwards.

Declare medical conditions honestly. Sea walking and scuba diving are not suitable for people with heart conditions, severe asthma, ear or sinus problems, epilepsy, or during pregnancy. Operators ask for a reason. And do not fly within 18 to 24 hours of a dive — if you are diving at North Bay, do not schedule it for the morning of your flight home.

Carry the original photo ID. Government ID for Indian travellers, passport and visa for foreign nationals. It is checked at the jetty.

Andaman Packages That Include Coral Island

North Bay is part of the standard Port Blair sightseeing day, so almost every well-built Andaman itinerary includes it — usually paired with Ross Island in the morning and the Cellular Jail light-and-sound show in the evening.

Booking it as part of a package rather than piecing it together offers one concrete advantage beyond convenience: the boat and the activity slots are confirmed before you arrive, which matters most in the December–January peak when the morning boats and sea-walk slots are the first things to sell out. Our Andaman and Nicobar tour packages cover Port Blair, Havelock and Neil Island across budget to luxury tiers, and every one of them can be built with the North Bay activities you actually want rather than a generic water-sports line item.

Here are three options that work well for different kinds of trips:

• The Andaman Tropical Paradise pairs the Port Blair sightseeing day with premium stays in Havelock — a good fit if you want North Bay's activities and Elephant Beach's reef on the same trip.
• The Andaman Oasis Escape runs at a slower pace with luxury stays, which suits travellers who prefer a relaxed morning at North Bay rather than a packed activity schedule.
• The Discover Andaman Isles covers the same Port Blair–Havelock–Neil route on a budget, with North Bay included.

If you would rather build your own, comparing Hotels in Andaman across the three islands and adding the Port Blair day separately works too — just book the boat early.