DUGONG CREEK 			Chart 4152


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	Little Andaman Island (Egu belong), the S most of Andaman Islands, lies about 5 miles SW of South Brother Island. The island, which is densely wooded, appears almost level from a distance but rises gradually from both ends to a 210m summit near its center.
	The low N side of Little Andaman Island is indented by Bumila Creek (Kwate-neabo) and Egu Belong Creek (Kuai-echekwada) both of which are difficult to make out until close off the entrance, which then shows as a gap in the trees. A reef on which the sea usually breaks extends almost across the entrance.
	Anchorage for small vessels with local knowledge can be taken about 1 mile N of the creek. The anchorage should be approached from NW in which direction there are no dangers; off the coast of the island, towards N and S Brother Islands, there are irregular shallow depths.
	Tidal Streams set about 080º at the above anchorage and sometimes a strong streams flows out of the creek.

Little Andaman Island – East Side
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	Hut Bay is an open bight on the E side of Little Andaman Island.  A breakwater with a length of 1.2km gives adequate protection to a Deep Water Wharf with an alongside depth of 11m.  The Wharf has a length of 225m and may be used for embarkation and disembarkation of men and material.  The breakwater and the wharf are undergoing major reconstruction work in 2007.  One mobile crane of 25T capacity and one fork lift of 3T capacity is available with the port authorities on request.  Port Control Tower may be contacted on MMB Channel 16 for obtaining clearance for entering harbour.  A plain red light is exhibited for the time being from a pole at the seaward end of the breakwater and burns from sunset till about 2200h.  There is a slipway NW of the wharf which may be used for landing.  A jetty approximately 1c in length is situated close N of the slipway, which has been damaged in Tsunami and is not fit for use.  The seaward end of this jetty has collapsed and lies submerged at all states of tide with a least depth of 1.9m over it.  Mariners should not approach within an area of approximately 100m around the tip of this jetty The village of Kwate-tu-Kwage lies about 1 mile S of the head of the bay. There is a dispensary with a capacity of 16 beds at Gandhi Market situated about 2 km NW of the wharf.

	Approach to the harbour is to be made from the NE side on a SW’ly course upto a point 2 cables west of the breakwater tip and thereafter turning swiftly to SE keeping clear of the breakwater at least by 2 cables and heading onto the wharf’s N edge. The approach may be made with the use of radar in the absence of conspicuous aids to navigation.  The mouth of the Kornakue Creek which lies about 1.5Nm NW of the breakwater tip is radar conspicuous and provides a good head on object when navigating blind.

 
	Landing may be effected through a gap in the reef just south of Kwate-tu-kwage village.
Anchorage may be obtained in a depth of 9m at a distance of 1 mile N of Port control tower or in at a depth of 12m, 1.5 miles NNE of Port control tower the bottom is mud and fine sand. 

	In addition to the marked anchorage positions on the existing chart 4010, the entire area bounded by the following limits has good holding ground with broken coral and sand bottom and is recommended for anchorage depending on the draught of the vessel. 	

	In bad weather small vessels can take sheltered anchorage between the breakwater and passenger jetty with due precautions. 


	Butler Bay another open bight, but much smaller than Hut Bay lies N of the Butler Rock, a prominent feature encrusted on a reef which separates the two bays.  

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	Dugong Creek (La-ba-nare) is narrow opening on the NE side of the Little Andaman Island. A small jetty of 75 m lies inside the creek, which can be approached during High Water by boats of 1m draught.  
	
	Anchorage may be obtained 1.3 mile NE of the entrance to the creek, in a depth of 10m, the bottom is sand and broken shell. Another recommended anchorage area lies 8 cables further E of it and is marked on the chart. A 4.7m shoal patch lies about 2 miles NNE of the entrance to the creek. A 8.4m shoal patch lies about 1½ miles E of the entrance to the creek. Another shoal with least depth of 9.4m lies 1.7 miles NE of the N entrance point of the creek.  
	
	Landing, may effected about 4½ cables NW of the N entrance point of the creek. A jetty of 15.66m length exists inside the creek. This jetty is used by small craft operated by Andaman Administration for supplying ration to Ongi settlement and by the security staff posted at Dugong Creek who have a patrol boat. 
	
	A doctor from Hut Bay visits the settlement regularly. The day-to-day medical requirements of the locals are looked after by a lady nurse who is also in charge of the small Health unit. There is a permanent Helipad located in the middle of Dugong Creek settlement. Crocodiles and water snakes are spotted in the area.
	
	Little Andaman light (10º 30'.8N, 92º 30'.2) is exhibited from a white circular concrete tower with black band, 46m high on the S most point of Little Andaman Island, SSE of Ingoie village.

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	Ten Degree channel, which lies between Little Andaman Island and Car Nicobar, about 77 miles SSE, is deep and clear of dangers. A depth of 7.3m was reported (1977) to lie about 6 miles S of Sandy Point, the SW point of Little Andaman Island.