Artificial reef
down to 18 m
Temple Reef
An artificial reef of recycled materials, the largest of its kind in south Asia, with more than 100 species recorded.
- Open Water
- Barracuda
Pondicherry
Diving in India
6 documented dive sites, 1 of them for Open Water divers. Known for dolphins, turtles and stingrays.
- Best months
- Feb–Apr, Oct–Nov
- Water
- 26–30 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
- Nearest airport
- MAA
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Pondicherry in October
Best season- Sea
- 30 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 30 °C
- 25 °C at night
- Rain
- 280 mm
- one of the wettest months
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- on average
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Diving runs all year (PADI). Sources disagree on the best months: dive.site gives Feb–Apr and Sep–Nov; Holidify gives Oct–Mar and says to avoid the Jun–Sep monsoon. Feb–Apr and Oct–Nov are best in both; Jan and Dec only in one; Sep is best per dive.site but to avoid per Holidify, so it is shown as good. May–Aug is shown as possible (open, rough seas possible), although whale sharks are reported May–Aug.
Dive sites in Pondicherry
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m1 siteFor Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m2 sitesFor experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m3 sitesWreck
down to 34 m
Trawler Wreck
A wrecked fishing vessel at 28-34 m, discovered by divers, now home to snappers, kingfish and batfish.
- Experienced
- Batfish
Marine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DolphinsSource: scubadiving.com | ||||||||||||
| TurtlesSource: scubadiving.com | ||||||||||||
| CrustaceansSource: scubadiving.com | ||||||||||||
| Sea snakesSource: scubadiving.com | ||||||||||||
| Whale sharksSource: scubadiving.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Dolphins: All year. Turtles: All year. Crustaceans: All year. Sea snakes: All year. Whale sharks: May–Aug
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Stingrays
- Barracuda
- Trevally
- Nudibranchs
- Batfish
- Groupers
- Lionfish
- Moray eels
- Manta rays
Where is Pondicherry?
- Nearest airport
- MAA
Pondicherry: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Pondicherry?
- The best months to dive Pondicherry are Feb–Apr, Oct–Nov. Diving runs all year (PADI). Sources disagree on the best months: dive.site gives Feb–Apr and Sep–Nov; Holidify gives Oct–Mar and says to avoid the Jun–Sep monsoon. Feb–Apr and Oct–Nov are best in both; Jan and Dec only in one; Sep is best per dive.site but to avoid per Holidify, so it is shown as good. May–Aug is shown as possible (open, rough seas possible), although whale sharks are reported May–Aug.
- Is Pondicherry good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 1 of the 6 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Temple Reef. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in Pondicherry?
- The water is usually between 26 °C and 30 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Pondicherry?
- Divers regularly see dolphins (all year), turtles (all year), stingrays, barracuda, trevally and crustaceans (all year).
- How do you dive Pondicherry?
- The nearest airport is MAA.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash