Nursery

Nursery is a protected shallow reef off Neil Island in the Andaman Islands, a natural nursery for juvenile fish with about 90% live coral cover. It runs from 5 to 12 m, with an average depth of about 8 m, and visibility around 15 to 20 m. The reef is sheltered from currents, so the water is calm and navigation is easy.

Staghorn, plate, table, brain and mushroom corals dominate. Blue-spotted stingrays hide in the sandy patches, and angelfish, butterflyfish, clownfish, parrotfish and surgeonfish are plentiful. Green and hawksbill turtles, guitar sharks and frogfish are rarer sightings, and dugongs are occasional visitors in the early morning. More than 15 nudibranch species, plus shrimp and crabs, give plenty for macro photography.

High tide gives the best visibility. Do not touch the coral or marine life, and keep your buoyancy perfect.