Juvis Snorkeling Havelock

Juvis Snorkeling is a guided boat-based snorkeling experience near John Lawrence Island, off Havelock Island in the Andaman Islands.

The experience starts with pickup from your Havelock accommodation followed by a safety briefing at the jetty. Your guide explains basic snorkeling techniques, including mask fitting, breathing through the snorkel, clearing a flooded snorkel and using underwater hand signals. Equipment is fitted before boarding the speedboat.

The boat ride from Govind Nagar to Juvis takes approximately 10–15 minutes. Juvis is a boat-entry reef, so participants enter the water directly from the boat near the reef mooring. The reef top begins at around 4 metres and slopes gradually toward a sandy bottom at approximately 12 metres. The site has no major walls, drops or overhangs in its main reef structure.

During the snorkeling session, participants remain at the surface and follow the guide across the reef. The shallow reef zone provides views of coral formations and reef fish from above. The site is known for its potato coral formations, branching staghorn corals, cauliflower and mushroom corals, as well as schools of reef fish. Clownfish and anemones can also be visible from the surface.

Depending on visibility and sea conditions, participants may also encounter parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, triggerfish, rabbitfish and other reef species. Rays may occasionally be seen around sandy patches. Marine-life sightings are natural and cannot be guaranteed. The deeper sections of the reef are primarily suitable for scuba diving rather than surface snorkeling.

The snorkeling session provides approximately 30–40 minutes in the water, while the complete experience takes around 2.5–3 hours including pickup, briefing, boat transfers and return. The vendor describes the site as having mild to low currents and seasonal visibility of approximately 10–20 metres.

A guide remains in the water with participants throughout the snorkeling session. The guide also carries a GoPro and provides 20 photos and 2 videos, which are shared with participants after the activity. A life jacket or buoyancy vest is provided for non-swimmers.

Basic water comfort; non-swimmers can use a buoyancy vest.

Wear comfortable swimwear, stay hydrated and use reef-safe sunscreen. Carry seasickness medication if required for the boat journey.

Reach Havelock Island by ferry or approved transport from Port Blair. Pickup from Havelock accommodation is followed by a 10–15 minute speedboat ride from Govind Nagar to Juvis.