The SS Inchkeith is the Andaman’s standout wreck dive, a 1923 British cargo vessel that sank in March 1955 near Duncan Island. Over the decades, it has become a thriving artificial reef at 18-22 meters. The steel hull is covered in fluorescent rust and colorful anemones, and the macro life is everywhere.
The lower visibility (4-12m) is actually part of the experience. It gives the wreck an eerie, mysterious feel that makes this dive hard to forget. The massive bronze propeller, ghost pipefish, and resident blind giant pufferfish await.


After 45-60 minutes by speedboat, you descend into history. The tilted bow appears first, listing heavily to starboard at just 5-10 meters. Corroded metal is covered in fluorescent rust, algae, and colorful anemones. Coal pieces from the 1955 voyage still scatter the seabed.
Swimming aft, the stern section sits upright at 18 meters-the heart of the dive. The massive bronze propeller rises from the sandy bottom and works as a cleaning station where groupers and snappers gather. Macro photographers love it here. ghost pipefish hide among feather stars, nudibranchs crawl across corroded surfaces, scorpionfish camouflage against rust.
The famous resident blind giant pufferfish has become a site celebrity, and has become a bit of a local celebrity. Every surface has something living on it. This is what 70 years of nature reclaiming a ship looks like.




SS Inchkeith is the dive that changes how people think about wreck diving. Yes, visibility is lower, but that is the point. The mysterious atmosphere, the textures, the macro life exploding from every surface… it’s unlike anything else in the Andamans. For photographers, this is the ultimate macro playground. For history buffs, it’s a 70-year-old time capsule. The propeller alone is worth the boat ride.
70+ years of colonization-wreck transformed into thriving artificial reef ecosystem
Built in 1923 by John Priestman & Co. in Sunderland, UK, the SS Inchkeith was a steel-hulled, steam-powered cargo vessel that sank on March 2, 1955, after striking an underwater rock near Duncan Island. After 70+ years on the seafloor, it has transformed into a thriving artificial reef ecosystem.
70-year-old shipwreck, macro photography paradise, and underwater history await!
Month-by-Month Conditions
Typical month-by-month conditions for SS Inchkeith, Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep). Season quality reflects sea state, boat access & underwater conditions — peak season runs November–April; June–August is monsoon. Actual conditions vary day to day.
Sighting likelihood by month, based on our dive team’s experience at this site
Giant Grouper
Epinephelus lanceolatus
Very Common
Tassled Scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis oxycephala
Common
Lionfish
Pterois volitans
Common
Giant Moray Eel
Gymnothorax javanicus
Common
Banded Boxer Shrimp
Stenopus hispidus
Common
Nudibranch
Chromodoris sp.
Common
Bluestripe Snapper
Lutjanus kasmira
Common
Kuhl's Stingray
Neotrygon kuhlii
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