St. Martin's Island Diving — Bangladesh

St. Martin's Island is Bangladesh's sole coral island, a tiny speck in the Bay of Bengal where snorkeling and basic diving are emerging. Infrastructure is minimal and visibility limited, but the island's frontier status and rock-bottom prices attract adventurous divers. Coral conservation efforts are underway.

Score
49.8 / 100
Country
Bangladesh
Region
Asia-Pacific
Area
Cox's Bazar Division
Nearest airport
Cox's Bazar (CXB) then boat
Visibility
5–15 m
Water temperature
24–30 °C
Max depth
18 m
Current strength
moderate
Dive types
reef, shore
Best months
November, December, January, February, March
Minimum certification
Open Water
Access type
boat
Average 2-tank dive cost
$45 USD
Budget tier
budget
Key species
olive ridley turtle, reef shark, stingray, clownfish, pufferfish
Google rating
4.1 (30 reviews)
Top operators
Ocean Paradise Dive
Nearest hyperbaric chamber
Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka (~400 km)
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World Class
Intermediate
St. Martin's Island
BangladeshAsia-Pacific
49.8

SCORE

20.6273°N

92.3226°E

St. Martin's Island is Bangladesh's sole coral island, a tiny speck in the Bay of Bengal where snorkeling and basic diving are emerging. Infrastructure is minimal and visibility limited, but the island's frontier status and rock-bottom prices attract adventurous divers. Coral conservation efforts are underway.

Bangladesh's Only Coral Island

Visibility5–15 m
Temperature24–30°C
Max Depth18 m
Currentmoderate
2-Tank Dive$45
Best MonthsNovember, December, January, February
CertificationOpen WaterIntermediate

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

ML45.0CH38.0VIS38.0SV35.0TMP85.0DA38.0OP45.0TS55.0GT30.0VAL88.0CRD72.0SP28.0

Marine Life

45.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity
42
Megafauna Encounters
35
Reef Fish Abundance
48
Macro Life
42
Endemic Species
38
Marine Life Diversity
45.0
Coral & Reef Health
38.0
Visibility & Conditions
38.0
Dive Site Variety
35.0
Water Temperature
85.0
Depth & Access
38.0
Operator Quality
45.0
Topside Experience
55.0
Getting There
30.0
Value & Cost
88.0
Crowding
72.0
Social Proof
28.0

Key Species

olive ridley turtlereef sharkstingrayclownfishpufferfish

Dive Types

reefshore

Traveling with Non-Divers?

Great news for traveling couples and families — this is a budget-friendly destination with plenty of affordable topside activities to keep non-divers happy while you explore below the surface.

Activities for Non-Divers

Chera Dwip rocky islet walksunset watchinglocal fish marketcoconut grove walks

Nearby Cultural Sites

  • Local fishing village

Non-Diver Partner Score

6/10

Good topside options for non-diving companions.

Family FriendlyNot recommended
Restaurants & Nightlifenone

Safety & Emergency

Dive Insurance

Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.

Learn More at DAN.org
Hyperbaric Chamber400 km — Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka
Nearest Hospital80 km

Very limited medical on island; boat to Teknaf then road to Cox's Bazar hospital; no local chamber

Skill LevelIntermediate
Current Strengthmoderate

Top Operators

Ocean Paradise Dive

PADI

4
18 reviews
Compare This Dive Site
Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives
25+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification
Open Water
“Accessible to most certified divers with basic open water skills.”

What will challenge you

  • →Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
  • →Nearest hyperbaric chamber is ~400 km away. Evacuation is slow. Dive conservative profiles and get DAN insurance before you fly.
  • →Variable visibility
  • →Navigation in low viz

What will surprise you

  • →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 6°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
  • →St. Martin's Island has more marine life variety than most divers expect
  • →Local operators know spots the guidebooks miss
Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..

Morning
  • Viz
    moderate
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    light
  • reef exploration
  • photography

Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.

Afternoon
  • Viz
    moderate
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    moderate
  • drift diving
  • second tank

Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month Viz (m) Temp (°C) CurrentSea RainConfidenceHighlights
Jan10–1527ModCalmLight70%reef fish active, peak season crowds
Feb10–1527ModCalmLight70%reef fish active, peak season crowds
Mar10–1527ModCalmLight70%reef fish active, peak season crowds
Apr10–1527ModCalmLight70%reef fish active
May10–1527ModCalmLight70%reef fish active
Jun5–1029ModModWet70%reef fish active
Jul5–1029ModModWet70%reef fish active, manta season
Aug5–1029ModModWet70%reef fish active, manta season
Sep5–1029ModModWet70%reef fish active, manta season
Oct5–1029ModModWet70%reef fish active
Nov10–1527ModCalmLight70%reef fish active
Dec10–1527ModCalmLight70%reef fish active
Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects46
Wide angle37
Viz stability32
Hover friendliness70
Natural light32

Recommended kit

  • →General reef kit — mid-range wide or a 60mm macro depending on the specific site
Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget
$1,700–$2,400

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US)
$1,100–$1,300
Accommodation / day
$25–$50
Diving / day
$40–$50
Food / day
$10–$25
Transfers + misc
$80–$230
Mid-range
$2,600–$3,750

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US)
$1,550–$1,850
Accommodation / day
$60–$120
Diving / day
$50–$60
Food / day
$30–$60
Transfers + misc
$80–$230
Splurge
$4,300–$6,600

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US)
$2,250–$2,750
Accommodation / day
$150–$300
Diving / day
$60–$80
Food / day
$70–$140
Transfers + misc
$80–$230

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

Build a trip around it

Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

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