South Sentinel Island

Lore & Background

South Sentinel Island is described as a forested coral reef, raised a few feet above sea level and continuous with the surrounding corals, according to a 19th-century journal by Colonel Alcock. The island is level-topped, with trees reaching 44 meters high, and its appearance is much the same from all bearings. A bank defined by the 36-meter curve surrounds the island and extends about 11 kilometers northwest from it, with considerable depths in the channel between the island and Little Andaman Island. The island belongs to the Port Blair tehsil in the South Andaman administrative district, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Politically, South Sentinel Island is part of Little Andaman Tehsil. In 2018, the Government of India excluded South Sentinel from the Restricted Area Permit regime until 31 December 2022 to boost tourism, though the Home Ministry later clarified that relaxation was intended only for researchers and anthropologists with pre-approved clearance. The island is uninhabited but is sometimes used by diving expeditions due to its remoteness and novelty factor.

Reader's Guide

South Sentinel Island's significance lies in its role as a sanctuary for wildlife that has been extirpated from most of the Andamans. The South Sentinel Island Sanctuary, established in 1977, is home to coconut crabs, which are otherwise largely absent from the Andamans aside from North Sentinel and Little Andaman. The island is a critical nesting site for thousands of pied imperial-pigeons that arrive every March from South and Little Andaman, as well as smaller numbers of Nicobar pigeons. One globally threatened bird, the Andaman crake, also occurs on the island.

The island is a very important nesting habitat for green sea turtles, though large swarms seen in the past have been significantly reduced due to poaching by trawlers. Small numbers of leatherback turtles also nest there. Two large reptile species—the Andaman water monitor and the saltwater crocodile—are found on the island, along with the Andaman Islands day gecko. The only terrestrial mammal on the island is the endemic Andaman horseshoe bat. The island's remoteness and protected status make it a unique refuge for these species, though its use by diving expeditions adds a limited human dimension.

Did You Know?

• South Sentinel Island is only 1.61 km2 in area, much smaller than neighboring North Sentinel Island.
• Thousands of pied imperial-pigeons nest on the island every March, coming from South and Little Andaman.