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Plan your Andaman holiday with local experts based in Port Blair
The Fisheries Museum in Port Blair is one of the most focused and genuinely surprising natural history institutions in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands - a compact but richly stocked facility managed by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute that documents the extraordinary marine biodiversity of the Andaman Sea through preserved specimens, skeletal displays, deep-sea catch collections and interpretive exhibits on fisheries ecology and conservation. Located within the CMFRI campus on Junglighat Road, the museum offers visitors an encounter with species they will never see on a reef snorkel or beach walk - oarfish, deep-sea sharks, rare cephalopods and marine creatures from the abyssal zones of the Bay of Bengal that exist far beyond the reach of recreational diving. For anyone with a serious interest in marine biology, ocean ecology or the sheer strangeness of deep-sea life, the Fisheries Museum is among the most rewarding stops in Port Blair.
The Fisheries Museum is operated by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, the premier marine fisheries science body in India, and its collection reflects the rigour of that institutional mandate. Unlike general natural history museums, the Fisheries Museum is built around research - every specimen on display was collected, documented and preserved as part of systematic scientific surveys of the Andaman and Nicobar marine zone, one of the least studied and most biodiverse ocean environments in the Indo-Pacific. The result is a collection that contains species rarely if ever displayed in any other public institution in India.
The museum's holdings include preserved specimens of over two hundred marine species across fish, crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms and cnidarians - from the colourful reef fish familiar to any snorkeller to deep-water species that inhabit depths of several hundred metres in the Andaman Sea. Skeletal preparations, wet specimens in preservative jars, dry shell and coral collections and informational panels on fisheries ecology and sustainable harvesting are distributed across a series of display rooms that reward methodical exploration. The collection is continuously updated as CMFRI research surveys bring new specimens to the surface from the Andaman's least explored marine environments.
The museum is open on weekdays and selected Saturdays, with visiting hours generally running from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Entry is free or available at a nominal charge - confirm current access arrangements directly with the CMFRI campus reception on arrival. The museum is not as widely promoted as Samudrika or the Anthropological Museum, which means it is rarely crowded and staff are often available to discuss the collection in detail with interested visitors. For those who prefer depth over footfall, this relative obscurity is an advantage rather than a drawback.
The Andaman Sea sits at the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean and connects to the Bay of Bengal through a series of deep submarine channels - the Andaman Trough in particular descends to depths exceeding 4,000 metres, making it one of the deepest enclosed sea basins in the Indo-Pacific. The CMFRI's research surveys have sampled marine life from the surface reef to these abyssal depths over several decades, and the Fisheries Museum collection is the most accessible public record of what those surveys have found. Oarfish - the world's longest bony fish, capable of exceeding ten metres - have been recovered in Andaman waters and specimens or documentation of these encounters are among the museum's most striking exhibits.
The reef fish section covers the species that define the Andaman's shallow marine environment - groupers, snappers, parrotfish, triggerfish, wrasses and the full range of reef associates that visitors encounter while snorkelling at sites like North Bay, Jolly Buoy and Red Skin Island. Seeing preserved specimens of these species in a museum context, labelled with scientific names, habitat ranges and ecological roles, significantly deepens the experience of any subsequent reef visit. Visitors who tour the Fisheries Museum before their water activities consistently report that they see the reef with greater attention and recognition than those who do not.
The crustacean and mollusc collections are particularly strong, covering lobster, crab and shrimp species of commercial and ecological significance alongside an extensive range of cephalopods - octopus, squid and cuttlefish - that are rarely displayed with this level of taxonomic detail in any Indian museum. The echinoderm section covers sea urchins, sea cucumbers, brittle stars and starfish species from across the Andaman's reef and sandy bottom habitats, with preservation techniques that maintain colour and form in a way that makes identification straightforward for non-specialists.
The fisheries ecology panels that accompany the specimen collections make this museum more than a cabinet of curiosities. Exhibits on sustainable fisheries management, bycatch reduction, marine protected areas and the impact of trawling on deep-sea habitats give the collection a contemporary conservation dimension that places every specimen in the context of the pressures facing the Andaman Sea today. The CMFRI's ongoing research is referenced throughout, connecting museum visitors to active science in a way that most natural history institutions do not manage.
Plan Your Port Blair Heritage Tour with Our Local ExpertsThe Fisheries Museum rewards visitors who arrive curious and leave slowly. Each display room covers a distinct dimension of the Andaman Sea's marine life - here is what to focus on during your visit.
The deep-sea collection is the Fisheries Museum's most distinctive offering and the exhibit least replicable at any other institution in the Andaman Islands. Preserved specimens of species recovered from depths of several hundred metres in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal - including rare sharks, large-bodied deep-water fish, unusual crustaceans and abyssal invertebrates - are displayed alongside documentation of the CMFRI research surveys that retrieved them. Several species in this section have no display equivalent in any other public institution in India. For visitors with a serious interest in marine biology or ocean science, this collection alone justifies the trip to Junglighat.
The reef fish gallery documents over two hundred species from the Andaman's shallow marine habitats - the groupers, snappers, parrotfish, triggerfish, wrasses and reef associates that define the visual experience of snorkelling and diving in the archipelago. Specimens are presented with scientific and common names, habitat ranges and notes on ecological function and fisheries significance. Visiting this gallery before a snorkelling trip to North Bay, Jolly Buoy or Havelock Island gives visitors a working vocabulary for what they will encounter on the reef - an investment of thirty minutes that substantially enriches every subsequent water activity.
The crustacean and mollusc sections cover lobster, crab and shrimp species of both commercial and ecological importance alongside one of the most detailed cephalopod collections in any Indian public museum - octopus, squid and cuttlefish specimens preserved with their form and colour largely intact. The echinoderm display adds sea urchins, sea cucumbers, brittle stars and starfish from across the Andaman's reef and sandy bottom habitats. Taken together these three sections cover the invertebrate marine world of the Andaman Sea with a taxonomic depth that no other institution in the islands approaches and that snorkelling alone cannot provide.
Interpretive panels throughout the museum address the conservation and management challenges facing the Andaman Sea's fisheries - sustainable harvesting practices, bycatch reduction technologies, the role of marine protected areas and the ecological impact of deep-sea trawling. The CMFRI's active research programme is referenced throughout, connecting each exhibit to ongoing science and giving the collection a relevance that extends well beyond natural history display. These panels make the Fisheries Museum one of the few institutions in Port Blair where visitors leave with not just knowledge of marine species but an understanding of the pressures those species currently face.
| Location | CMFRI Campus, Junglighat Road, Port Blair, South Andaman, approximately 3 km from Aberdeen Bazaar, reached by auto-rickshaw or taxi |
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| Opening Hours | Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Confirm current access arrangements with CMFRI campus reception on arrival as schedules may vary |
| Best Time to Visit | Weekday morning, staff availability is highest and the museum is least crowded, allowing unhurried exploration and the possibility of guided explanation from CMFRI personnel |
| How to Reach | Auto-rickshaw from Aberdeen Bazaar: 15–20 minutes. Taxi from any Port Blair hotel: 20–30 minutes. Ask specifically for the CMFRI campus on Junglighat Road |
| Entry Fee | Free or nominal charge - confirm current access policy at the CMFRI campus gate on arrival |
| Key Exhibits | Deep-sea specimen collection, reef fish and coastal species gallery, crustacean and mollusc displays, cephalopod collection, echinoderm section, fisheries ecology and conservation panels |
| Photography | Generally permitted throughout the museum - confirm with CMFRI staff at the entrance as policies for specific research collections may vary |
| Facilities | No café or souvenir shop on premises. Carry water. CMFRI library and research facilities are not open to general public visitors without prior institutional arrangement |
| Nearby Attractions | Junglighat Market, Cellular Jail National Memorial, Samudrika Naval Marine Museum, Anthropological Museum, Aberdeen Bazaar, Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex |
Visit the Fisheries Museum before your reef snorkelling or diving days rather than after. The specimen collection gives you a working knowledge of the species names, forms and ecological roles of the fish and invertebrates you will encounter underwater - a context that makes every reef encounter more meaningful and more memorable. Thirty minutes in the reef fish gallery translates directly into a richer snorkelling experience at North Bay, Jolly Buoy or any Havelock Island dive site.
If CMFRI research staff are present during your visit, do not hesitate to ask questions. The museum is attached to an active marine research institution and staff members are often willing to discuss current survey work, species identification and the conservation challenges facing Andaman fisheries with genuinely interested visitors. This is not a standard museum experience - it is access to active ocean science, and it is available free of the institutional barriers that typically separate researchers from the public.
The museum is not widely signposted from central Port Blair. Tell your auto-rickshaw driver the CMFRI campus on Junglighat Road specifically - most drivers in Port Blair know the campus by name even if they are unfamiliar with the museum itself. Confirm the return journey before entering as auto-rickshaws are less frequent in this part of Port Blair than in the Aberdeen Bazaar area.
Pair the Fisheries Museum with Samudrika Naval Marine Museum and the Anthropological Museum for a complete Port Blair heritage day that covers the Andaman Islands' marine biology, natural history and tribal cultures in full. The three institutions sit within a 3 kilometre radius of each other and can be covered comfortably in a single day with an early start - a day that will give you more genuine knowledge of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands than any amount of beach time alone.
The Fisheries Museum is the Andaman Islands' best-kept institutional secret - a research-grade natural history collection that most visitors to Port Blair walk past without knowing it exists. Those who find it discover specimens and scientific context unavailable anywhere else in the archipelago, presented in an environment that is unhurried, accessible and staffed by people with genuine expertise in the marine environment you have come to explore. It is, in the most practical sense, the ideal preparation for every water activity on your Andaman itinerary.
Our team at Andaman Vacations India includes the Fisheries Museum as part of our Port Blair natural history trail, paired with Samudrika Naval Marine Museum and the Anthropological Museum for guests who want a complete first-day orientation to the islands before the island-hopping begins. We handle all transfers and timing so the museum morning flows directly into your afternoon activity without any logistical friction. Tell us your travel dates and we will build an Andaman itinerary that combines the science, heritage and natural beauty of these extraordinary islands across every day you are here.
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