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South Button Island tour from Havelock - snorkel India's smallest national park
Course Code: FRG-TRIP-SBI

South Button Island Day Trip from Havelock

₹12,600 + GST
4.9 1,989 Google reviews

Half-day private boat tour from Havelock to South Button - India's smallest national park. Snorkeling in South Button Island's pristine reef and South Button scuba diving on the volcanic wall.

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Whole boat from ₹75,000 + 18% GST
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Optional Add-Ons

GoPro Photos & Videos

Snorkel & reef footage from your trip - already included

Included

Snorkel Gear & Refreshments

Mask, fins, life vest + water, fresh fruit and snacks onboard - included

Included
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Things to Know
Booking confirmation sent via WhatsApp within 30 minutes
Free cancellation up to 7 days before your trip
Up to 8 guests on board (children counted) · minimum age 5 years
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About the South Button Island day trip from Havelock

South Button is the smallest notified national park in India. Just 0.03 km² of uninhabited rock and reef, 38 km north-east of Havelock. No ferry runs here. A private boat is the only way in, which is the whole reason a South Button National Park tour from Havelock works the way it does. Almost no boats reach this reef, and the coral shows it. The Havelock house reefs get busier every year. South Button doesn't.

The trip is a 4-hour half-day to South Button Island from Havelock. Out of the main jetty, 75 minutes by speedboat, then we anchor in the sheltered northern lagoon. The snorkel zone sits in 2–6 m of clear water with staghorn corals and parrotfish schools through the whole session. Snorkeling in South Button Island is the main event. Open Water certified divers can add South Button scuba diving on the wall down to 25 m as an upgrade.

Total Duration
4 Hours
Boat Ride
~75 min each way
Distance from Havelock
~38 km North-East
Reef Depth
2–25 m (snorkel + scuba)
Group Size
4–8 Guests (or private)
Difficulty
Suitable for All · Ages 8+
Best Season
October to May
Visibility
15–25 m (Nov–Apr)

National park rules: South Button is a protected national park. A Forest Department permit (₹500 Indian / ₹2,500 foreign) is mandatory and we file the paperwork. Fishing, anchoring on coral, and removing any marine material is prohibited.

Your day at South Button

Pickup mid-morning from Havelock, on the reef by lunchtime, hotel drop by mid-afternoon. Timings shift slightly with tide and weather; everything below is typical.

Step 1 · 0:00
Hotel pickup & jetty briefing
We collect you from your Havelock hotel and drive to the jetty. Short safety briefing, gear fitting, paperwork on the boat. Light snacks, water and juice loaded onboard.
Step 2 · 0:15
Departure from Havelock
Boat leaves the main jetty. About 75 minutes by speedboat across open water to South Button. The first 20 minutes are sheltered, then it opens up. Calm in season, but bring a light layer for the breeze.
Step 3 · 1:30
Arrival & in-water briefing
We anchor in the sheltered northern lagoon, off the rock. Final safety briefing in the water, gear adjusted, life vests on for non-swimmers. Your in-water guide stays with you the whole session.
Step 4 · 1:45
Snorkel session (60–90 min)
Guided snorkel over the reef top in 2–6 m. Staghorn and table corals, parrotfish, butterflyfish, anemonefish in their host anemones, fusilier schools moving through. Open Water divers drop to the wall (12–25 m) at the same time.
Step 5 · 3:00
Refreshments & second swim
Back on the boat. Fresh fruit, water, soft drinks. Optional second snorkel session in the lagoon if there's time and energy. GoPro footage being prepped for delivery.
Step 6 · 3:30
Cruise back & hotel drop
Boat heads back to Havelock, about 75 minutes. GoPro photos and short video sent to your WhatsApp before you leave the boat. Drop at your Havelock hotel.

Morning slots run calmer than afternoon. If conditions deteriorate, the captain calls it. Weather-cancelled trips are rescheduled or refunded in full.

What's included in your trip

The fare covers everything on the boat. Forest Department permits and GST are billed separately at the dock.

Included in the fare

  • Return private speedboat from Havelock jetty
  • Hotel pickup and drop in Havelock
  • Forest Department permit assistance (we file the paperwork)
  • Snorkel gear: mask, fins, snorkel, life vest
  • RAID/PADI certified in-water guide for the full session
  • Bottled water, fresh fruit, soft drinks and snacks onboard
  • Captain and crew, minimum 3 staff per trip
  • GoPro photos and a short video, WhatsApped same day
  • Full safety equipment: oxygen, first aid, life rafts, marine radio

What to bring

  • Swimwear, worn under your clothes
  • Towel and a dry change of clothes
  • Reef-safe sunscreen, sunglasses, sunhat
  • Light windproof layer for the boat ride
  • Valid photo ID (mandatory for the Forest Dept. permit)
  • Cash for the permit fee (₹500 / ₹2,500)

Paid separately at the dock

  • Forest Department permit: ₹500 per Indian national, ₹2,500 per foreign national.

Cancellation & weather policy

  • Free cancellation up to 60 days before departure (full refund)
  • 30–59 days before: 50% refund
  • Inside 30 days, or no-show: non-refundable
  • Trip cancelled by us due to weather: rescheduled or refunded in full

Not suitable for: children under 8, pregnant guests, anyone with an active ear or sinus infection, recent ear/sinus surgery, or uncontrolled cardiac conditions. Non-swimmers are welcome with a life vest. If you're unsure, WhatsApp us before booking.

About South Button Island National Park

South Button is one of three uninhabited islands in the Button group (South Button, Middle Button and North Button), sitting between Havelock and Long Island in the Andaman Sea. South Button alone is India's smallest national park by area. It was gazetted in 1987 to protect the fringing reef and the seabird colony on the rock.

The reef

  • Fringing reef on the north and west sides; reef top at 2–3 m, sloping to a wall that drops past 30 m
  • Hard coral plateau of staghorn (Acropora), table corals, brain corals and plate corals on the upper reef
  • Soft coral gardens and fan corals on the wall edge from about 12 m down
  • Healthy coral cover; a no-fishing protected zone since 1987 with very low diver pressure compared to inshore Havelock sites
  • Visibility 15–25 m from November through April; 8–15 m in the south-west monsoon shoulder months

Marine life you'll see most days

  • Parrotfish (5+ species), butterflyfish pairs, sergeant majors
  • Anemonefish in their host anemones, shallow and photogenic
  • Schooling fusiliers and surgeonfish over the upper reef
  • Unicornfish, snappers, triggerfish, moorish idols
  • Reef octopus and moray eels in the deeper crevices (scuba)

What you might also see

  • White-tip reef sharks resting under coral overhangs on the wall (scuba zone)
  • Napoleon (humphead) wrasse, usually solitary, in the blue off the wall
  • Hawksbill turtles feeding on sponges along the upper reef
  • Schooling barracuda in transit through the channel
  • Eagle rays cruising past the corner
  • Brown noddies and frigatebirds nesting on the rock above

Why South Button beats other Havelock snorkel spots

  • National park status keeps boat traffic low and the reef healthy
  • Boat-only access means you'll often have it to yourselves
  • Snorkel and scuba on the same site, rare on a Havelock day trip
  • Wall dive for Open Water divers without booking a multi-day liveaboard
  • Longer boat ride than Elephant Beach, but the difference in reef quality is night and day

Practical notes

  • Coordinates: 12.295° N, 93.067° E
  • No facilities on the island; it's uninhabited and landing is restricted
  • You're snorkelling or diving from the anchored boat. We don't go ashore.
  • Mobile signal drops out about 20 minutes into the cruise; no signal at the site

South Button Island from Havelock - FAQs

South Button is uninhabited and has no public ferry. The only way in is on a private day-boat from Havelock. Our 4-hour trip leaves Havelock jetty, about 75 minutes each way by speedboat, and it's the most direct route. We run on calm-sea days, October to May.

Yes. South Button is the smallest notified national park in India, covering just 0.03 km². Gazetted in 1987 to protect the fringing reef and the seabird colonies on the rock. Fishing, anchoring on coral and removing marine material are all prohibited. A Forest Department permit is mandatory.

Yes. We provide life vests for everyone and the snorkel zone sits in 2–4 metres of calm sheltered water inside the lagoon. Your in-water guide stays close to non-swimmers throughout. You don't need to swim to enjoy the reef from the surface.

About 75 minutes each way by speedboat in good conditions. Door to door from your Havelock hotel, the whole trip runs 4 hours including briefing, snorkel session and return.

Yes. South Button is a protected national park and a Forest Department permit is mandatory. We file the paperwork; you pay the fee at the Havelock office on the day. ₹500 per Indian national, ₹2,500 per foreign national, cash only. Bring a valid government photo ID.

October through May. Calm seas, 15–25 m visibility, stable weather. December to February is prime, with the calmest seas and the best light. June to September is the south-west monsoon and the trip runs only on weather-permitting days.

Neil Island is inhabited and reached by ferry, good for relaxed beach days with cafes. Elephant Beach is the busy day-trip out of Havelock, first-timer friendly but crowded. South Button is uninhabited, no ferry, private boat only. Quieter water, deeper reef, no crowds. The step up from Elephant Beach for travellers who want the real thing.

WhatsApp +91 95319 24029 or use the booking form on this page. We confirm with a deposit and the balance is due on the day. Free cancellation up to 60 days out. Slots cap at 8 per trip and December–February books up first, so earlier is better.

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Dive the Best Reefs in Andaman

We dive the best spots around Havelock, where visibility is at its best. From shore dives at Nemo Reef to boat scuba diving in Havelock at Tribe Gate and The Wall, we pick the right site for the conditions.