Barren Island is situated in the Andaman Sea and lies about 138 km (86 mi) northeast of the territory’s capital, Port Blair. It is the only active Volcano along the chain from Sumatra to Myanmar and the only active volcano in India. Barren Island is a part of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and is well known as a Submarine emergent Volcano, which lies above the subduction zone of India and the Burmese plate.
Well, Barren Island in Andaman again started erupting in 2018, and many people across the globe are coming to the islands just to experience this phenomenon. Here are the recent photographs of the barren island volcano which started erupting in 2018.
Havelock Island is located about 57 kms from Port Blair. To reach Havelock Island you need to first reach Port Blair and then take a ferry to reach Havelock Island. The best and the most reliable way to reach Havelock Island is via sea only. It takes about 90 minutes to 2.5 hours to reach the island from Port Blair. Many ferries operate from Port Blair to Havelock Island and are frequently available. You can book the various ferry online.
Both government ferries and private cruises are operational on this island which gives you an option to choose what you prefer.
Fact: As of 2022 – No Seaplane is operational in the Andaman Islands.
Helicopter Services – This too is not available on a regular basis and only a handful of seats are available which can be booked only after you reach the Andaman Islands.
All ferry leaves from Haddo Jetty earlier the ferries used to sail from Phoenix Bay Jetty. It is very important to select the right ferry and book it to reach Havelock Island.
Considering Ferry as the most reliable way to reach Havelock Island. Mentioned below are the various ferries that are available to take you to Havelock Island.
Airlines such as Air India, SpiceJet, Vistara, Go Air, and Indigo fly to Andaman and Nicobar Islands and will land in Port Blair. Currently, Port Blair has only commercial airports. Direct flights are operating from Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, and Kolkata. Flights from Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad are operational during the season by Go Air/Indigo. Please check the official website of the airlines to know more about the flights to Port Blair (IXZ)
Currently, there are no evening flights available that are post-sunset; the first flight takes off at around 7 AM and the last flight of the day around 4 PM.
What this means is that you hire the entire boat yourself and take it on a visit to Barren Island. If a group of friends are planning a visit to Barren then they can select this option.
Includes :
Boat trip from Havelock Island to Barren Island and Return
Breakfast, Lunch and Refreshments
Fishing and Snorkeling kit
Departure time: 5 AM from Havelock Jetty
Travel time : 3 Hours
Total trip duration: 10 Hours
Cost For Private Charter: Rupees 1,50,000 + 5% GST For Upto 8 Person
Extra persons beyond 8 Persons will be charged at Rupees 15000 Per Person
Permit Charges Extra :
Rupees 500 For Indian
Rupees 2500 For Foreigners
A shared trip to Barren Island takes place every Tuesday from Havelock Island. In a shared trip, a group is formed who are interested in visiting Barren Island.
Includes :
Boat trip from Havelock Island to Barren Island and Return
Breakfast, Lunch and Refreshments
Fishing and Snorkeling kit
Departure time: 5 AM from Havelock Jetty
Travel time : 3 Hours
Total trip duration: 10 Hours
Cost For Shared Trip Cost / Person Charter: Rupees 25000 + 5% GST
Permit Charges Extra :
Rupees 500 For Indians
Rupees 2500 For Foreigners
All trip to Barren Island is subject to weather conditions, Government regulations, and payload on the day of sailing.
About the Boat –
MFV Caiman is a luxury boat for the Barren Island trip. This boat has 16 Life Jackets, a Fire Extinguisher, a Distance Alert Transmitter, an Area Information System, a VHF Communicator, a Fish Finder, GPS, a First Aid Box, a Cockpit Cabin, and a Toilet.
The boat is a 2×250 Suzuki Engine with an overall length of 12.67 meters. The boat has 6 Double Sofa sets along with an 800-litre fuel tank and 800-litre Storage.
Just 3 kilometers wide, with a two-kilometer- wide caldera, Barren Island is the summit of a volcano that rises about 2,250 meters from the seafloor, with 354 meters above the waterline. It is the emergent summit of a volcano that rises from a depth. The eruptions had reduced the number of bird species and their population. Of the 16 previously reported species, only six species are observed, of which the Pied Imperial Pigeon is the most abundant.
Not Dangerous at all!
It has been in news recently that the Volcano erupted in small episodes of about five to ten minutes, on January 23, 2017. It resulted in the ash clouds and red lava fountains were ejecting from the crater and the hot lava flowed streaming down its slopes. But don’t worry this is nothing new to this unique place. It has erupted at least five times over the next 100 years.
Historically, the first record of the volcano’s eruption dates back to 1787. In 1991, it erupted so and the smoke billowed out for about six months. And since then there have been eruptions every two-three years also the last in February 2016.
However, all of these eruptions lie at the lowest level of the Volcanic Explosivity Index. This index ranks the volcanoes from 1-8 based on the quantity of volcanic material spewed and its strength. This latest 2017 eruption was recorded as a 2 on the index which is much in the safe limits.
Narcondam Island in Andaman and Nicobar is a volcanic island and is classified as a dormant volcano by the Geological Survey of India. The island is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famous for its prevalent Narcondam Hornbill. Baratang Island in Andaman is famous for its Mud volcanoes. These also attract many anxious tourists all year round.
Those looking to visit unique and offbeat places in the Andaman Islands should consider visiting Barren Island. Other offbeat places to visit in Andaman include Long Island and Little Andaman Islands.
