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Small Island near Red Skin, Port Blair. Best for Snorkeling and Glass Bottom Boat Rides.
Located at 30 KM from the Wandoor Beach, Jolly Buoy Island is a very small islet in South Andaman that comes under the Mahatma Gandhi National Park along with Red Skin Island, which is a preserved area, protected by the Andaman Administration.
Although there are no palm or coconut trees here, the Jolly buoy features a small yet dense tropical forest that covers 70% of the island and can be easily trekked through with the help of a guide.
The beach is only present at one side of the island while other sides open up to a cliff that ends in water, which is why it is not advised to stand near the edge of the jungle.
As it is a protected area, the complete island is a no plastic zone and visitors are required to submit the list of all plastic items they are taking with them. It is not allowed to leave any plastic or other belongings in the island because it might affect the biodiversity.
Due to all these efforts, it has the most dense and unique coral population in Andaman that supports one of the most richest biodiversity in the isles. Wide variety of coral species houses some of the most vibrant and beautiful fishes that are waiting to be explored by adventure lovers.
The waters near the Jolly Buoy beach is extremely shallow and clear, which allows for a clear view of the sea bottom and all the dwellers. Sometimes during low tide, the water becomes so shallow that the corals are almost out of the water, and Snorkeling is restricted at that time.
But no need to worry about that, there are plenty of rental boats available at the island who will take you deeper into the sea for a great experience.
If you are planning for some water sports at Jolly Buoy, you'll need to book a trip from the Wandoor Beach by visiting the booth near the Jetty. Usually 10-15 min snorkeling is provided free and can be easily extended by contacting the provider.
Here are the available activities in the island:
What do you need for a best Snorkeling experience?
Well, it's really hard to find the perfect combination of all three at any one place, but Jolly Buoy perfectly nails all of them. The clean water here offers high underwater visibility, and the shallow depth helps you take a closer look at the sea bottom and all the marine life it engulfs within itself
The coral strips starts immediately from the shore and goes upto 300 meters in the shape of patches of 5-20 meters that house different species of fishes, lobsters and other creatures that will amaze you.
Snorkeling can be easily done near the shoreline during high tide, in cases of low tides it is not allowed to snorkel near the beach as it may damage the corals, so you can hire a boat to go into deeper waters.
Those who'd like to Snorkel by a vendor can find the perfect one near Wandoor, compare the prices and choose the one that best suits your need. Snorkeling equipment and underwater assistance is provided by most of the operators.
A usual trip lasts for about 10-15 minutes, but there are boats available at the island that will take you into the waters for 30-45 minutes per trip for a small price. To save more you can pre-book the trip and visit there with confidence.
Glass Bottom Boat Ride is more popular in Jolly Buoy than any other activity, mainly because it doesn't require you to go into the water and get wet and therefore is more convenient, especially because there are no places to change your clothes at Jolly Buoy.
As the name suggests, the glass bottom boats have a bottom made of transparent and extremely thick, tough glass that lets you indulge yourself in the magnificent underwater world from the comfort of your cabin.
The boat takes you through the well known dense coral belts that have always been populated with a wide variety of marine life and lets you gaze at some of the most vibrant and beautiful collection of reefs and their inhabitants.
The whole ride takes around 15-30 minutes to complete depending on the type of pricing selected. You can also extend the time of your trip by making a request with the vendor.
You can easily take a cab and book every activity separately or book book complete trip to save more. The pricing is usually reduced upto 30% for larger groups.
Here is the list of all the vendors and their prices:
Reaching Jolly can get really complex if one doesn't know where to start, the island is not connected by any roads and can be reached only by taking a boat.
To reach Jolly Buoy from Port Blair, first you'll have to take a bus or cab to the Wandoor Beach. Buses are available at an interval of 1 hour from any bus stand going through Bathubasti. Cabs are also available to take you there, you can easily book one by contacting the right vendor. The beach itself is located 30 Kms from the airport and it takes around 1 hour to reach there.
Once you are at Wandoor Beach you can inquire about speed boats by taking a right from the cluster of shops till you see the board for boat offices. If you need to do snorkeling by yourself you can get the permit by visiting the forest office and presenting you identity proof and passport.
Once there you'll embark on a 30 minute trip to the Jolly Buoy Island and enjoy your day. Make sure to book a return ticket as there are no vendors there.