Samudrika Naval Marine Museum, Port Blair

Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is a famous tourist destination in Andaman. This museum is run by Indian Navy and it is focused on creating general awareness about the marine life and the ocean of the region. The displays and exhibits of the museum represent the history of Andaman Island and people of the region, archaeology, marine life, and general information of the land. The term Samudrika means Samudra, which means sea.

The museum also has collection of corals, sculptures related to marine life, and much more. The exhibits in the museum provide information about the sensitive eco-system that we live in, the oceanic life, culture, and much more.

Location of Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

The museum is located in Port Blair, closer to Andaman Teal House. It is just 9 km away from the center of Port Blair. The museum is located on Haddo Road.

• Distance between Samudrika Marine Museum and Cellular Jail – 2.8 km (8 minutes)
• Distance between Samudrika Marine Museum and Corbyn Cove Beach – 7.8 km (18 minutes)
• Distance between Samudrika Marine Museum and Veer Savarkar International Airport – 3.1 km (9 minutes)
• Distance between Samudrika Marine Museum and Marine Hill – 2.6 km (8 minutes)
• Distance between Samudrika Marine Museum and Aberdeen Bazaar – 2 km (6 minutes)

Inside Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

The museum has five sections of exhibits. There are five rooms in the museum and exhibits in each room are as follows

Room One

This room has exhibits regarding the tribal culture, volcanoes of the region, wood species found in the island, insects, and types of forest in the area. These exhibits give an introductive to the geography and culture of the land.

Room Two

This room is called Aqua Room, as it holds exhibits related to the marine wealth of the land. This room holds numerous exhibits of undersea world like stone fish, parrot fish, and others in a large aquarium. You can spot numerous fish species in this room. Feeding the fish and using flash photography are not allowed in this room.

Room Three

This is called Coral Room. This room has an extensive collection of corals, most of which are extraordinary in structure. Each display has information regarding where those corals are formed. This is the iconic room of the museum.

Room Four

This is called Display Room. This is the room for sea shell collection. Apart from seashells, you can find numerous other miscellaneous items in this room.

Room Five

This is called Tribal Room. This room has numerous exhibits explaining the tribal lifestyle of the region. You can also find collection of currencies including Japanese War Currency. The room has a large collection of butterfly and snake specimens.

Things to do in Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

• There is a small aquarium inside the museum, where you can find small corals, rare fish species, marine animals, and others.
• Right outside the museum, there is a large blue whale skeleton. This skeleton came from the shores of Nicobar Islands
• There is a tribal souvenir shop (gift shop) inside the museum, where you can buy souvenirs of Tribal art work, artificial artifacts, knick-knacks, and others..
• Check out the videos displayed regarding the flora and fauna of the land.
• There is a small zoo within the premises of the museum, where can find a few species of salt-water crocodiles.

Facts about Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

• The museum is maintained by Indian Navy.
• The skeleton displayed outside the museum is that of a baby blue whale, which got beached in one of the shores of Nicobar Islands.
• There is no entry fee for handicapped visitors and senior citizens. However, specific ID proof has to be submitted before entering the museum.

How to Reach Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

You can easily find road transportation to reach the museum from Port Blair. It is of walking distance from most of the attractions in Port Blair.

If you are visiting from Havelock Island, the museum is 65 km away and you can reach Port Blair via ferry and from the jetty, take road transportation to reach the museum.

Entry fee of Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

• Entry fee for adults – INR 50
• Entry fee for children – INR 25
• Camera fee – INR 20
• Video camera fee – INR 50

Visiting Timing of Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

• The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday.
• Timing : 9 am – 1 pm and from 2 pm – 5 pm

Best Time to Visit Samudrika Naval Marine Museum

The museum is open throughout the year and is at prime beauty, always. However, tourists prefer to avoid monsoon season as the sea becomes rough leading to temporary banning of many tourist activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, sea walking, and others. October to May is the best time to visit the museum.