South Button Island National Park

South Button Island National Park protects an island of about 5 square kilometres, making it the smallest national park in India. Together with North Button and Middle Button it falls within the Rani Jhansi Marine National Park, and it lies some 24 km southwest of Havelock Island, roughly two hours away by motor boat.

The island is too small for large land mammals, but its waters are rich. Coral reefs begin as little as 1.8 metres below the surface and the visibility is good, so snorkelling and scuba diving are the main activities. Divers may see snappers, sweetlips, lionfish, angelfish, rays, barracuda, octopuses and nudibranchs, and dugongs, dolphins and sea turtles also frequent the area. Turtles breed here, as do edible-nest swiftlets and white-bellied sea eagles. Rain is heavy from June to October, so the drier months from December to April see the most visitors.