Dive Review of MV Infiniti in
India/Andaman Islands

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MV Infiniti: "Diving the Andaman Islands of India", Mar, 2016, by Tom Baker, CA, US ( Sr. Reviewer 7 reports with 8 Helpful votes). Report 8844.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was a trip to the Andaman Islands of India, aboard the MV Infiniti, India's only world class liveaboard. This is very different from the "Andaman Sea" trips departing from Thailand. In fact, the Andaman Islands are about 500 miles offshore of Thailand, and roughly 800 miles east of India. Once away from the main island where the airport at Port Blair is located, it is about as remote a dive location as possible. The diving was unlike any other place I have been in my 52+ years of diving, especially at the northern portion of our itinerary, at Narcondman and Barren Islands. Although both are volcanic (indeed Barren Islands's volcano is active), there were no fringing coral reefs or atolls. In fact, there were no coral reefs anywhere, though corals are found growing on the rocky substrate in many places and can be fairly large in extent. Due to finning, there were no sharks seen on our trip, and only a few mantas, which are also hunted in the area. Other large pelagics were also absent, though whale sharks and marine mammals are often found there. The most amazing part of diving was at Barren Island, where the constant deposition of volcanic ash has created a striking black sand bottom, that undulates off to the distance like sand dunes. Beautiful corals abounded on the rocks that extend above the black sand, and a good variety of macro subjects live everywhere around them, including in the black sand. Black sand facilitates close up macro photography as it absorbs light. There was also a great diversity and in places abundance of colorful reef fish, dog tooth tuna, yellowfin tuna, and schooling jacks at all the islands we visited. Sea snakes were a regular sight. At most islands, there were big populations of giant barrel sponges and colorful soft corals on steep walls and on large rocky formations. In places, the soft corals gave the reefs a stunning purple or pink glow. Overall, it was extremely unique and interesting diving, on a dive boat that only lacks nitrox to be almost perfect, with roomy cabins, terrific Indian food, and terrific crew! All divers were very happy with the trip.
Websites	MV Infiniti
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	California, Red Sea, Raja Ampat, Galapagos, NY/NJ Wrecks, Cayman, Great Barrier Reef, Lord Howe Island, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Maldives, Belize, BVI, Roatan, Bonaire, etc.
Closest Airport	Port Blair	Getting There	From either Chennai or Kolkota
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm, choppy, surge, currents, no currents
Water Temp	82-85°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	50-100 Ft/ 15-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Depths up to 132 feet, times up to 60 minutes
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	1 or 2	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Diving was done from RIB's,so cameras had to be, and were, handled very carefully by the crew, both when lowering them into the water and when retrieving them at the end of a dive. There was secure camera storage on the dive deck, as well as charging stations. There was also a large table in the dining area dedicated to camera work which also had charging stations. Overall very good and secure.

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Dive Review of MV Infiniti in India/Andaman Islands

MV Infiniti: "Diving the Andaman Islands of India", Mar, 2016,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of MV Infiniti in
India/Andaman Islands