The Oceans Surrounding Havelock Island, India
- ThePersaudCatalog
- Jun 20
- 6 min read
This month's article series will be discussing the beautiful & esteemed Havelock Island of India’s Andaman Sea.
Havelock Island is approximately 324.26 nautical miles (373.151744 miles, or 600.52952 kilometers) off the coast of the mainland country of Thailand. Havelock Island gets its name from Sir Henry Havelock, was British Major-General who served in India.
Havelock Island is a part of the Ritchie Archipelago, in the Western Central Andaman Sea. It is important to mention that the Andaman Sea is located in the eastern Bay of Bengal. Due to its location, the island's primary language is Bengali. The island was recently renamed to Swaraj Island, but for this article, we will refer to it as Havelock Island.
Havelock Island is most well known for its beautiful beaches, forests, & exquisite marine life. The island is surrounded by coral reefs, which are incredibly biodiverse. The thickly wooded forests on the island clash with the sandy beaches, which create a beautiful & unique environment. These coral reefs are fringing, & can be seen by all who roam the beaches.
Snorkelling & Scuba diving are extremely popular for this reason, so much so that this island is widely considered a small slice of paradise.
One of the beaches with the most coral is Elephant Beach, which is located in the northwestern area of the island. Thankfully, the island is not very polluted, so the coral can be seen from the shoreline.
Many creatures ranging from small crustaceans to large cuttlefish can be found roaming the shallower areas, & even more can be found in the deeper ends. These beaches & reefs are not only a source of beauty on the island, though, they are a source of great economic prosperity.
One of the island's main economic sectors is eco-tourism. Eco-tourists are not just interested in the reefs, though; they are interested in the beautiful, lush forests of Havelock Island.
In this article, we will discuss the Discovery & Life, the Mating Procedures, Practices, Cycles, Tactics, & Strategies, the Distribution, & the Scientific Detailings of the Broadclub Cuttlefish. With that being said, let us delve into this sleepy little island.
The Tides, Temperatures, Salinity, Marine Geography & Basic Information Of The Oceans Surrounding Havelock Island
Unfortunately, the Salinity of the water surrounding Havelock Island has not been measured as of 2023. Though we do not know the salinity of the waters directly surrounding the island, we do know the salinity of the Indian Ocean. The average Salinity in the Indian Ocean is 34.5 parts per thousand, & can range from 32 to 37 parts per thousand. It is unclear if there are any salt deposits, but more than likely, there are not. Salinity is measured in 1,000-gram water samples. For every 1000 grams of water, there will be a certain number of grams that are pure salt. This is the way that salinity is currently measured.
The oceanic temperature charts can be found on a plethora of websites, including but not limited to: https://seatemperature.info, https://seatemperatures.net, & https://www.watertemp.org. The average yearly temperature is 28.966666666667 Celsius (84.1400000000005548 Fahrenheit). For diving in this temperature, there is no wetsuit recommended, & the majority of people can swim in regular swimming suits.
The tidal charts can be found on similar websites, which include: https://tideking.com, & https://www.worldbeachguide.com. The tides & surf are not extremely high, & usually do not go over 3.3 meters tall (10.8268 feet). The island does not seem to have any bad currents or riptides that would be dangerous to swimmers. The primary reason for there being a lack of currents is that the coral provides a natural boundary, & softens the effects.
The island does not have dangerous levels of oceanic pollution, & is perfectly safe to swim, snorkel, scuba dive, or do oceanic activities in. Unfortunately, we are unable to find any oceanic maps that show the depth of the waters surrounding the island or what the marine geography is like.
Some of the highest ranked beaches on the island are considered to be: Elephant Beach, Raghanagar Beach, Vijay Nagar Beach, Govind Nagar, Kala Pathar Beach, Radha Nagar Beach, & Nemo Beach.
The Most Prominent Marine Ecosystems Of The Oceans Surrounding Havelock Island
Ecosystem Type No. 1: Fringing Coral Reefs
The coral reefs nearby are usually within 30 feet of surface level & are directly against the coastline. They are absolutely beautiful & attract millions of dollars in tourism each year. These areas serve as a home, a habitat, & a hunting ground for many creatures. Not to mention that the coral itself is alive. The types of coral reefs around Havelock Island are known are fringing coral reefs instead of barrier reefs.
Unfortunately, coral is extremely susceptible to ocean acidification, as well as negative human activity. As of 2025, there are an estimated 179 species of coral in the Andaman Sea, distributed amongst 61 genera.
Ecosystem Type No. 2: Seagrass Meadow
There are small seagrass meadows found off the coast of Havelock Island. Approximately 7 species comprise these areas. Seagrass meadows are popular areas for breeding, fish spawning, mollusc spawning, & hunting.
These seagrass meadows are usually in underwater mudflats, though they occasionally may be growing in sandy intertidal areas. Usually, seagrass meadows are not too close to the coast, as it is extremely difficult for them to grow in shallow waters.
The Documented Marine Flora Of Havelock Island
Unfortunately, the exact species of seagrass that grows around Havelock Island is unclear. Aside from seagrass, the oceans surrounding the island are known to have large algae blooms, which cause the water to temporarily turn green. There are mangrove trees around the island, the main species being Rhizophora Stylosa (Spotted Mangrove) & Bruguiera Gymnorhiza (Large Leafed Orange Mangrove). There are at least 10 species of mangrove, 7 species of seagrass, & 61 species of algae across all genera.
The Documented Marine Fauna Of Havelock Island
It is very hard to keep track of the marine life that are found around Havelock island specifically, because the majority of the creatures will frequently migrate between the islands. The islands share coral reefs, which enables these creatures to travel very easily. There are at least 1,200 species of fish, & 1,000 marine molluscs.
How Ocean Acidification & Rising Ocean Temperatures Have Affected Havelock Islands Coral Reefs
Ocean acidification is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased, largely because of human-caused burning of fossil fuels, & deforestation, for the past 150 years. When carbon dioxide contacts seawater, it forms carbonic acid. Carbonic acid gives off positively charged hydrogen ions, which causes increased oceanic concentrations of positive hydrogen ions & decreased oceanic pH. When the ocean has decreased pH, it effectively acidifies. This can stress out coral & cause them to expel their zooxanthellae.
Zooxanthellae are a small species of algae that live on coral, conduct photosynthesis, such that coral can reap the oxygen from, & provide coral with its bright pigmentation. When the coral becomes stressed & expels the zooxanthellae, the coral bleaches & eventually dies. Additionally, the general rising temperatures have caused the coral to be stressed out. If this continues, the robust reef system could be depleted by a large amount. This should be monitored closely, so that conservationists know when to act, & how to act.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Wetsuit thickness and temperature guide, Written by Mark Evans, & Published on April 24th, 2023, at 3:05 PM. Published By Scuba Divers Magazine. Retrieval Date: November 16th, 2023.
Citation No. 2: “Best Beach In Havelock Island (2023 Edition)”, Written By the Go2andaman Editorial Staff, & Published on February 12th of 2021. Published by Go2Andaman. Retrieval Date: November 16th, 2023.
Citation No. 3: “Marine Flora of Nicobar Group of Islands in Andaman Sea”, Written By T. G. Jagtap, & Published on March 21st, 1991. Published by the National Institute Of Oceanography, Dona Paula. Retrieval Date: November 16th, 2023.
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