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Everything You Need to Know About Scuba Diving in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, offers scuba diving enthusiasts a treasure trove of underwater experiences. From vibrant coral reefs to historic shipwrecks and diverse marine life, diving in Sri Lanka caters to all levels of divers. Here’s everything you should know to plan your scuba diving adventure in this beautiful country.

1. Best Dive Sites in Sri Lanka

Unawatuna: Located on the southwest coast, Unawatuna is famous for its shallow reefs teeming with marine life. It’s ideal for both beginners and experienced divers, offering clear waters and encounters with turtles, colorful fish, and sometimes even whale sharks.

Trincomalee: On the northeast coast, Trincomalee boasts pristine diving conditions, especially around Pigeon Island National Park. Expect crystal-clear waters, untouched coral reefs, and sightings of reef sharks, rays, and other exotic species.

Weligama: Known for its whale watching opportunities, Weligama also offers excellent diving spots with diverse marine ecosystems. Explore coral gardens and underwater rock formations while keeping an eye out for dolphins and whale pods.

2. Marine Life and Diving Experiences

Diverse Marine Species: Sri Lanka’s waters are home to a diverse range of marine life, including colorful reef fish, turtles, rays, moray eels, and various shark species. During the right season, lucky divers might even spot majestic whale sharks or gentle manta rays.

Historic Wrecks: For history buffs and wreck diving enthusiasts, Sri Lanka has several intriguing sites, such as the HMS Hermes, a World War II British aircraft carrier sunk off the coast. These wrecks have become artificial reefs, attracting a plethora of marine life.

3. When to Go Diving

Seasonality: The best time for diving varies by region. The west and south coasts, including popular spots like Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, are best from November to April, offering calm seas and good visibility. The east coast, like Trincomalee, is ideal from May to October due to favorable weather conditions.

4. Diving Conditions and Requirements

Certification: Most dive centres in Sri Lanka require proof of certification for scuba diving. Beginners can take introductory courses or obtain certification through accredited dive schools across the country.

Equipment: While dive centres typically provide basic equipment, bringing your own gear ensures comfort and familiarity. Essentials include a well-fitting mask, snorkel, fins, and a suitable wetsuit for tropical waters.

5. Conservation and Responsible Diving

Environmental Awareness: Support sustainable diving practices by choosing operators committed to marine conservation. Respect marine life and coral reefs by avoiding touching or disturbing them, and use reef-safe sunscreen to minimize ecological impact.

Community Involvement: Many dive operators in Sri Lanka actively participate in local conservation efforts, such as coral reef restoration projects and community education initiatives. Consider supporting these initiatives during your diving experience.

6. Cultural and Travel Tips

Cultural Experiences: Beyond diving, Sri Lanka offers rich cultural experiences, including visits to ancient temples, tea plantations, and wildlife safaris. Take time to explore the country’s diverse heritage and natural beauty between diving sessions.

Travel Logistics: Plan your trip well in advance, especially during peak diving seasons. Arrange accommodation close to your chosen dive sites, and consider local transportation options for exploring beyond the coast.

Conclusion

Scuba diving in Sri Lanka promises an unforgettable journey into the underwater wonders of the Indian Ocean. Whether you’re drawn to vibrant coral reefs, historic shipwrecks, or encounters with exotic marine species, this island nation offers something for every diver. Prepare for your adventure by researching dive sites, checking seasonal conditions, and ensuring your diving certification is up to date. Embrace the beauty of Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystems responsibly and leave with memories that will last a lifetime.

Prepare to dive into the magic of Sri Lanka’s underwater world—where every dive is a discovery waiting to be made.

“OFF SEASON” MISCONCEPTIONS:

Let’s chat about the ‘Off-Season’ in Unawatuna and broader southern Sri Lanka region.

For years, it’s been widely accepted that from May to October, tourists should head east due to perceived adverse weather conditions like monsoons, heavy rains, and storms. This belief has been reinforced by travel blogs and articles, painting this period as less than ideal for tourism in the south.

However, climate change is reshaping these patterns. The once extended monsoon season, often with intense rainfall and storms, now primarily occurs in May and June. While this temporarily affects scuba diving due to strong currents and reduced visibility for a few months, the overall ‘off-season’ period is much shorter than traditionally perceived. This resembles the peak season, where we also anticipate sudden rain showers and storms familiar with tropical countries.

In Sri Lanka, the concept of ‘seasons’ also includes promoting tourism on the opposite coast, such as Arugam Bay or Trincomalee, where fewer months are conducive to tourism. Businesses often relocate operations there, defining tourism seasons as opportunities to profit in different locations and environments.

Despite these transient challenges, there are significant advantages to visiting Unawatuna during what is considered the ‘off-season’:

☀️The weather is mostly sunny & hot with (very refreshing) occasional showers.
🤿 Scuba Diving is still available despite occasional safety pauses. Visibility typically ranges between 2-5m until August.
🏝️ Fewer tourists mean a more peaceful experience on Unawatuna Beach and its surroundings.
🚘 Accessibility from Colombo is easier compared to the longer journey required to the East coast.
💲Many establishments offer discounts, making it more affordable for travelers.
🗺️There are plenty of activities beyond beach activities, including exploring historical sites, tea plantations and enjoying local cuisine

In essence, it’s time to challenge the misconception that the south of Sri Lanka is not worth visiting during the ‘off-season’. By doing so, travelers can uncover a vibrant and inviting side of Unawatuna and the southern coast year-round.

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 20m

MINIMUM DEPTH: 15m

BOAT TRIP: 10-15 minutes

MINIMUM LEVEL: Open Water

Galapita Gala is one of our beautiful cave dive sites located perfectly at our home of Unawatuna, accommodating just a short boat ride from Sun Diving Centre.

This cave was naturally created by Mother Earth and what you will find is a stunning 3m/9ft long cave to glide through while exploring the habitants of this enclosure. Following your cave immersion, you will encounter small rocks upon large rocks, gliding in and around feeling lost within its cracks and crevices, observing the habitants who live amongst them, namely Slugs, Sponge and Sea worms, Large Lobsters, Sting Rays, Blue Ring Angel Fish and Lion Fish. Divers can also find patches of black, soft and fan corals.

This is a dive site suitable for all level of divers, although those with Advanced only can explore the small cave.

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 25m

MINIMUM DEPTH: 16m

BOAT TRIP: 20-25 minutes

MINIMUM LEVEL: Advanced

This specific wreck has accumulated several names over the years due to people initially not knowing exactly what ship this was, however since then, further substantial evidence has come to light highlighting the likelihood of this being the SS Orestes. These important pieces of evidence include a piece of crockery found with the inscription “Ocean” (known to be on SS. Orestes), the shape of the unique anchor which SS Orestes is also seen to have, the approximate length of the ship, the two masts and features of the mast, and it being a single screw propeller driven ship.

As we swim deeper and closer to the wreck, some of these significate pieces of evidence can still be seen and explored, including an unusual looking boiler. The history of SS Orestes is that it sank in 1875, with Captain Buckley at the helm, when it struck a submerged shoal called the Gindura reef.

The main activity we can see here are Big Eye Trevally which consume almost all of the ship, darting in and out of the crevices and the divers’ pathway throughout the dive. We start seeing the Big Eye Trevally at just 5 meters deep, however this dive allows us to immerse ourselves to approximately 25 meters deep in order to explore the ship wreck resting there waiting for us. Another common sight are Porcupine Fish, Sting Rays and Moray Eels.

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 15m

MINIMUM DEPTH: 8m

BOAT TRIP: 15 minutes

MINIMUM LEVEL: Open Water

Talpe Reef is a beautiful dive site that occupies a large 1km long x 50 meters wide natural reef in Talpe, just East of Unawatuna. This location is one of the two reefs located in Talpe, and provides some amazing experiences for divers as we can occasionally see large Green and Hawksbill Turtles, large Lobsters, Snappers and Moray Ells! This is a perfect dive for beginners and other level divers, due to the depth being minimum 8 meters, with a maximum of 18m.

It is very important for ocean conditions and visibility to be perfect when diving at Talpe Reef due to possible danger that the wave breaks can cause leading to injuries from the reef. Therefore, we cannot always provide a dive here, even upon request… for your own safety!

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 30m

MINIMUM DEPTH: 25m

BOAT TRIP: 10-15 minutes

MINIMUM LEVEL: Advanced

Aluth Gal Mattah acquires a large reef with overgrown black corals trees, fauna and flora providing comfortable habitat for the beautiful marine life at this location.

Beneath the waters you will come across large red toned stones that are a beautiful site (although due to depth we experience changes in color perception because of the selective absorption and scattering of light by water. This natural filtering process gradually removes longer wavelengths of light (reds, oranges, yellows) as you descend, leaving primarily blues and greens visible at greater depths).

We may also be able to explore the large anchor that once fell and has been trapped since, now used a structure for fauna and marine life to grow.

The common specifies of fish you will encounter include lobsters, nudibranch, sting rays, and much more.

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 25m

MINIMUM DEPTH: 8m

BOAT TRIP: 10-15 minutes

MINIMUM LEVEL: Open Water

Aluth Gala translates simply to ‘Rock Pinnacle’ in Sinhala. Aluth Gala dive site is conveniently located near the shore, offering easy access for divers.

Following the impact of a tsunami, the area has been gradually recovering, now featuring colorful black and white corals in places and anemones with diverse marine species thriving among them.

The dive at this dramatic rock pinnacle allows exploration across different levels and enclosures among large stone formations. Marine life becomes visible from just 8 meters deep, extending down to 25 meters. Divers can alternate between these levels, encountering new species each time. This variability in depths also means different water visibility conditions, meaning despite poor conditions this is the best site to visit for a chance to spot something cool!

Divers will encounter a range of small, colorful creatures such as nudibranchs, shrimp, lionfish, and clownfish, alongside larger marine species including moray eels, schools of fusiliers and trevallies, stonefish, groupers, slugs, triggerfish, lobsters, sweetlips, lionfish, and various types of sergeant fish.

Moreover, there’s the thrill of potential sightings of whale sharks at this site, making every dive an opportunity for an unforgettable encounter with these magnificent creatures.

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 15m

MINIMUM DEPTH: 8m

BOAT TRIP: 20 minutes

MINIMUM LEVEL: Open Water

Navy Kupatha dive site is located 20 minutes boat ride from the Sun Diving Centre. There are many rocky areas with some examples of coral. This dive site is spread over more than 1 km and can be visited by beginners or advanced divers, and it’s a wonderful site to practice your photography skills.

You will see many and various different kind of coral fishes and animals. There are many fishes you can see like Pelagics, Rays, Groupers, Snappers, Turtles, Eels, Jacks, Barracudas, Various Marine Life.