India’s top shipwreck dive sites that are a treasure trove of intriguing stories

Beyond their historical value, shipwrecks also serve as artificial reefs—breeding grounds and safe haven for marine life. 

Suzy’s Wreck, Goa

Off Grande Island in Goa lies a part of the remains of SS Rita, a British cargo vessel that carried railroad tracks before it sank in the mid-20th century. Popularly known as Suzy’s Wreck, this is one of the most easily accessible shipwrecks in India suitable for divers of all levels. Resting between 5 and 14 metres, this site has abundant marine life including snappers, batfish, angelfish, clownfish, moray eels, barracudas, groupers, and more. What’s interesting is that this is only a part of the wreck. The stern lies further away and at a deeper depth, forming another dive site called the Davy Jones’ Locker. 

HMIS Sophie Marie, Chidiya Tapu, Andaman

Legend goes that after the Japanese invaded and occupied the Andaman Islands when Britain was busy focused on WWII, the Royal Indian Navy needed a minesweeper to clear enemy mines. So, they recommissioned HMIS Sophie Marie for the job. However, how it met its fate remains a mystery. Some say that it was ironically destroyed by a mine, while others believe it collided with Corruption Rock, a massive pinnacle emerging from 40 metres to the surface. Either way, today it remains one of India’s most intriguing shipwrecks lying at 28-38 metres, suitable for experienced PADI Advanced Open Water Divers or above.

“A fun dive profile would be to spend about 15-20 minutes at the wreck and then drift to Corruption Rock to do the safety stop. That way, you finish the dive having seen both an incredible wreck at depth and a coral colony teeming with marine life in the shallows,” says Dhruv Sirohi, PADI Course Director and Regional Training Consultant (India). 

SS Inchkeith Wreck, Havelock, Andaman

On March 2, 1955, SS Inchkeith, a cargo vessel carrying coal and timber, struck an underwater rock near Duncan Island in the Andamans and sank. Today, it’s covered in colourful corals and swarming with large schools of fish. It’s an 111-metre-long wreck with the shallowest part of the hull at 5 metres and the deepest at 18 metres. Despite being underwater for decades, its giant boilers and propellers remain intact, and there’s coal scattered all over the seabed surrounding the wreck. This dive site, accessed from Havelock Island, is an absolute delight for macro photography enthusiasts. A variety of nudibranchs, pipefish, shrimps, and crabs occupy the wreck, along with schools of curious batfish, fusiliers, snappers, scorpionfish, butterflyfish, and groupers.

Trawler Wreck, Puducherry 

One of the newest additions to the shipwreck dive sites in India, Trawler Wreck was discovered in 2020. When local divers got wind of fishermen getting high catches in a particular area, they got the GPS coordinates and went to check it out. It turned out to be an unidentified fishing trawler that quickly became a marine biodiversity hotspot. 

“Trawler Wreck not only has a beautiful structure from the outside but also a few swim-throughs that allow us to peek inside, which is usually occupied by huge groupers. You also get to see lionfish, kingfish, barracudas, octopuses, and crazy schools of snappers and batfish. It an amazing dive site, perfect for PADI Wreck and Deep Diver Specialty courses and TecRec courses,” says Shaveer Patel, PADI Course Director at Temple Adventures, Puducherry.

Future of wreck diving in India

While these may be the most iconic shipwreck dive sites in India, there are many others that offer similar allure. Beyond their historical value, shipwrecks also serve as artificial reefs—breeding grounds and safe haven for marine life. That’s why the proposal to sink a decommissioned Indian Naval ship, INS Guldar, to 

create India’s first underwater museum off the coast of Sindhudurg, Maharashtra has generated much excitement in the scuba community.

(Mia Raghavi is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor and Marketing Consultant on a mission to spark more conversations around diving among Indians and steer many adventure seekers towards the ocean)