South Drop-Off
Netrani Island · India
South Drop-Off is Netrani's shallowest and most accessible dive site — a gently inclined reef slope from 5 to 25 metres that provides an excellent introduction to the island's marine life and functions as the go-to site for open-water certification dives and snorkelling. The slope is densely colonised by hard and soft corals in relatively pristine condition, supporting permanent populations of butterflyfish, parrotfish, and wrasse, with large octopus regularly encountered in the rubble zones at the base of the slope. It serves as an important reference site for Netrani's ecological health: its coral cover has remained largely intact despite the sea temperature spikes that caused bleaching events at shallower sites on India's west coast in 2016 and 2020.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Often strong
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
2 to 6 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
24 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Strong | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Still | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Last confirmed Feb 28, 2025 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Laced Moray
Last confirmed Dec 10, 2025 · 2 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Psammocora profundacella
Last confirmed May 6, 2025 · 11 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Blue-Barred Parrotfish
Last confirmed Feb 26, 2025 · 2 records
Rare
Now and then
Redtooth Triggerfish
Last confirmed Apr 7, 2025 · 2 records
Rare
Now and then
Redlip Parrotfish
Last confirmed May 7, 2025 · 1 records
Rare
Now and then
Indian Triggerfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Painted Spiny Lobster
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear