The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are one of the best places in the world to enjoy a relaxing and adventurous vacation. The beautiful vast sea works like a magic for anyone who wants to wind down from the hectic pace of city life. Stunning beaches, lush forests, and a translucent sea, it doesn’t get better than this.
But wait, when you are at the Andamans, it can get better than this. Because you can also add a trip to a volcanic island to your adventurous itinerary. Barren Island is a majestic island, and one of the best-kept secrets of the Andamans. But what most people go to the island for is fishing. People from across the world travel to the Andamans to go fishing in Barren Island.
Before we talk about the adventure that is fishing in Barren Island, let’s understand what game fishing is. Yes, it is just fishing. But game fishing, which is also called Bluewater fishing, involves going out into the open sea to catch giant and strong fish that cannot be very easily caught. Since the fish you catch are not small and can be very strong, you’d have put up quite a struggle to catch them. Often, game fishing is done with at least another person so that you can pull and lift your catch.
There are many places in the world where game fishing is very popular, especially, places close to the sea. To fish, you’d have to necessarily go deep into the sea. This is why Barren Island is so popular among anglers. It is far into the sea and is free from human intervention most of the time. This is why it attracts so many varieties of game fish. Some popular game fish are Black Marlins, Blue Marlins, Yellowfin Tuna, Dogtooth Tuna, Dorado, and giant Sailfish.
In most cases, you will be accompanied by a guide. So, don’t worry about not having experience in fishing in Barren Island. The island is the best place to start your game fishing journey.
Since it is the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, even your journey can become an experience. Because, in most cases, you wouldn’t be taking a land vehicle but be out in the incredibly beautiful sea. To go to Barren Island too you’d have to charter a boat. Regular passenger ferries, unfortunately, do not Barren Island since it is an uninhabited and remote island. But you easily get charter boats from Port Blair or Havelock Island if you want to go fishing in Barren Island.
From Port Blair, Barren Island is around 140 km, which means that you reach your destination in about 3-4 hours. From Havelock Island, the volcanic island is 2-3 hours, so most people prefer to travel from Havelock. Note that Havelock itself is accessible from Port Blair by a ferry that takes 2-3 hours to cover the distance between the two islands. If you travelling to Barren Island from Havelock, make sure that you have plans in the latter as well.
Taking a boat charter to Barren Island is not as cheap as booking a regular ferry in the Andamans and get be a bit expensive. To charter a boat, you’ll have to shell out around INR 130,000. This price is for hiring the entire boat for the day. Since the boat accommodates around 8 people excluding staff, it would help if you travelled with a group or family.
Some booking agencies also give you the option to book individual seats on the boat. This should cost you around INR 25000 per person. Note that the costs include all the facilities you’ll, need on your fishing trip to Barren Island including food, fishing gear, and even a guide.
Additionally, you’ll also have to pay for a tourist permit to fish on Barren Island. The cost of the permit is INR 1000 for Indian citizens and INR 3500 for anyone who’s not a citizen of India.
The best time to travel to Barren Island is between November to February. The weather around this period is perfect for a vacation as it is pleasant and sunny with very few chances of unpredictable storms or rain. This is why most people take a fishing trip to Barren Island around this time. You can also book your tickets in October, March and even early April. However, the weather may be a little hot and humid in these months. Try not to travel to the Andamans during monsoons as you won’t be able to enjoy most of the activities. While some activities may be open, sudden rains may pour (heavy) water on your plans.
Fishing is, of course, one of the best things that you can do on Barren Island. The area near the volcano boasts a very rich marine ecosystem attracting a variety of fish that are even suitable for game fishing. But that’s not all there is to the island. Apart from game fishing in Barren Island, you can try these fun activities:
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