Also known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, Sri Lanka has made its mark on the map as a scuba diving destination for people of varying experience levels. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver or even looking at technical diving, scuba diving in Sri Lanka has something to offer for everyone! Being an island nation, the coastline of the country is vast with myriad diving spots offering different underwater landscapes and marine life. Below is a list of all the prominent dive destinations in the country with quick insight into what they offer.

Located on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, Nilaveli is an untouched paradise. With a range of dive sites off the coast, Nilaveli is home to stunning coral reefs and rock structures where marine life thrives. Dive sites range from a depth of 6m to 35m, making it perfect for beginners and advanced level divers. The famous Pigeon Island, which is home to black tip reef sharks and sea turtles is also located close to Nilaveli. Our scuba diving school Divinguru is located just opposite the famous Pigeon Island. The northeast coast of Sri Lanka is also frequented by whales and dolphins so keep your fingers crossed! (Please note that it is illegal to do any in water activities with whales in Sri Lanka.)

The best time for diving in Nilaveli is from March to October. Visibility ranges from 5m to 20m and the conditions are typically easy. This makes it a top spot for doing your beginner level scuba diving courses in Sri Lanka. Our dive centre Divinguru Nilaveli offers the perfect opportunity to get certified or even just for some fun dives! Nilaveli is located 248 kms away from the main international airport in Colombo and can be reached by public bus or private taxis. One can also take a train to Trincomalee which is 13 kms away from Nilaveli. 

A stone’s throw away from Galle, Unawatuna has grown as a popular tourist spot and a diving destination over the years! Directly on the Unawatuna Beach you can also find our diving centre Divinguru Unawatuna. Different from your typical dives over coral reefs, the dive sites in Unawatuna offer marvellous rock structures and formations with swim throughs and canyons. The age-old wrecks of S.S. Rangoon and S.S. Orestes are also accessible from here, making it an exciting spot for diving enthusiasts. Dive sites range from a depth of 5m to 32m and are home to schooling fish, turtles, octopuses, nudibranchs and even a variety of wrasses. Time to time we get lucky to spot dolphins or whale sharks around our dive sites in Unawatuna.

The best time for diving in Unawatuna is from November to March with visibility ranging 5m to 15m. Unawatuna is located 153 kms from the main international airport in Colombo and can be reached by public bus or private taxis. One can also take a train from Colombo Fort Station to Galle which is 6 kms away from Unawatuna.

Home to HMS Hermes, the world’s first ship which was designed to be an aircraft carrier, Batticaloa is a technical divers paradise. Hermes lies in the depths, off the coast of Batticaloa, in all its might. Located between 44-55 metres, Hermes is a monstrous ship with so much to see and explore. Hermes sank off the coast of Sri Lanka after being bombed by the Japanese during World War II. It has developed an ecosystem of its own over the years and numerous schools of fish have made it their home. Given its depth, this shipwreck is only accessible to technical divers. Conditions here can also be challenging.

Batticaloa also offers wrecks at shallower depths, S.S.Brennus and S.S.John Jackson, both of which have so much to offer with John Jackson being the largest steam shipwreck off the coast of Sri Lanka.

The best time to dive in Batticaloa is from March to October. Batticaloa is located 292 kms away from the main international airport and can be reached by public bus or taxis.

Located on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwa is a diving hotspot known for its shipwrecks, rocky and hard coral reefs. These reefs are home to a myriad species of reef fish and rays which are bound to make your dives exciting. Diving in Hikkaduwa is suitable for beginners and offers some nice shallow dives for those who want to start their scuba diving journey.

The best time to dive in Hikkaduwa is from November to March. Hikkaduwa is located 143 kms away from the main international airport and can be reached by public bus or private taxi. One can also catch a train from Colombo Fort Station to Hikkaduwa.

Colombo is home to an array of wrecks, both at depth and in the shallows for divers of various certification levels. Over the years, it has earned its reputation for wreck diving in the diving community and now divers across the world come here to dive at the wrecks. Apart from wrecks, Colombo is also home to stunning corals. Gorgonian Gardens is a famous dive site located off the coast of Colombo at 35m. The dive site is filled with large Gorgonian fans and one can spot a number of different species of fish here. If you are diving in Sri Lanka, do not miss out on the dive sites in Colombo for they might be some of the most exciting dives you have ever been on!

The best time for diving in Colombo is from November to April.

The above are some of the best places for diving in Sri Lanka with wrecks, rock formations and coral reefs. The dive sites are also rich in marine biodiversity, making it thrilling for both beginners and experienced divers. With Divinguru Sri Lanka you can scuba dive whole year round on both south and east coast. Learn more about specific Dive Sites around Unawatuna and Nilaveli, Trincomalee.

Do you wonder what is the best time to scuba dive in Sri Lanka? Then you found the right place. Divinguru is operating whole year round and we offer all scuba diving activities, PADI Courses, Snorkeling and Whale & Dolphin Watching. From October until April we are open at our diving centre Divinguru Unawatuna on the south coast of Sri Lanka. From March until October you find us at Divinguru Nilaveli, located 10km north from Trincomalee town on the east coast. So from 15th March until 10th April you can scuba dive on the best spots on both coasts of Sri Lanka. But that doesn’t mean you can scuba dive in Sri Lanka only one month.

We are open whole year round at our different locations and diving according the monsoon season. Each coast has something different to offer so let’s have a look when is the best time to scuba dive in Sri Lanka.

The diving season in Sri Lanka is whole year round at different locations. We can divide diving in Sri Lanka into two seasons. According to to monsoon season Divinguru is operating half year in Unawatuna on the south coast and second half of the year in Nilaveli and Trincomalee in the north-east of Sri Lanka.

Divinguru Unawatuna is open every year from 15th October until 10th April, in this 6 months period you can enjoy the best diving conditions in Sri Lanka. From mid of April onwards diving on the south coast is influenced by the south west monsoon. Due to these conditions Divinguru centre in Unawatuna is closed. No worries, we are moving to the untouched north-east coast!

However bathing and swimming is possible during the whole year due to the reefs protecting Unawatuna Beach and the Mihiripenna/Dalawella Beach from high waves.

Divinguru Nilaveli is operating every year from 15th March to 30th October just 10km from Trincomalee town. In this time period you can find the best diving on the nort-east coast with calm sea and good underwater visibility. Our diving centre is located very near to the famous Pigeon Island Marine National Park in Nilaveli where you can snorkel with sharks and turtles. From mid November onwards the diving on the east coast is influenced by the north east monsoon. The sea becomes rough, heavy rain influences the dive conditions and our diving centres in the east are closed. Then Divinguru moves to the south where the south west monsoon ends at around the mid of October and the dive season starts.

During the off-season the sea becomes rough and heavy rain influences the dive conditions. Usually monsoons carry more humid air from the Indian Ocean. Sometimes there are strong winds and rains but on average never longer than an hour or two.

Daily sunshine is even during the monsoon period in average 8 hours a day. Day temperatures are around 29 to 32 Degrees Celsius and night temperatures 26 to 30 Degrees Celsius. Water temperature is the whole year between 27 and 30 Celsius. Underwater visibility can change quite quickly, on average we have 10 meters, if lucky 15 meters maximum.

Both coasts has something different to offer. On the south coasts you can expect deep diving and wreck diving and on the east coast shallow diving with beautiful corals. If you are looking to spot a big fish, then definitely visit the famous Pigeon Island Marine National Park on the east coast of Sri Lanka where you can snorkel with black tip reef sharks and sea turtles. If you get lucky on the south coast you can spot whale sharks or manta rays during months of January until April.

Check out also our Dive Sites to learn more about different diving spots and marine life in Sri Lanka. For wreck diving we also recommend Hikkaduwa or Colombo.

from 15th October – 10th April

• wrecks for all diving levels
• deep dive sites (max. 32m)
• with spectacular marine life
• rock topography with swimthroughs
• visibility: 5 to 15 metres

15th March – 30th October

• the best coral reefs in Sri Lanka
• shallow dive sites around 10 m (max. 18m)
• snorkeling and whale watching
• Pigeon Island Marine National Park
• visibility: 5 to 20 metres

When visiting the east coast of Sri Lanka, the famous Pigeon Island Marine National Park is the highlight of your holiday. If you like scuba diving above the best coral reefs in Sri Lanka or just want to chill on the beach and go swimming with sharks, you must visit the Pigeon Island in Nilaveli.

The location of the famous Pigeon Island is just a few minutes by boat transfer from Nilaveli, located around 10 km from Trincomalee town on the east coast of Sri Lanka. East Coast is around 5 to 6 hours drive from Colombo. There are many islands in the Pigeon Island area including Crow Island, Knife Rock and Mortar Rock available for scuba diving. The must-see part is the “Shark Area” on the main Pigeon Island. The main island is around 200 m long and 100 m wide coral reef with more than 100 species of corals making it unmatched live coral reef unlike any other in Sri Lanka.

The main Pigeon Island is divided into two parts. The front side, where is the boat parking, has on its side the protected area with Black Tip Reef Sharks. This area is marked with buoy lines showing you the protected place for sharks. Important is to not enter or swim inside the shark area so you give sharks space to live. The shark area is available only for snorkeling (you can’t scuba dive here) so it’s a good habit to follow the buoy lines and the marked area.

On the other side of the Pigeon Island, the back side, you can scuba dive or snorkel with other tropical fish above the most beautiful corals in Sri Lanka. You find different species of sea turtles all over the island. If you have enough energy you can swim around the whole island, it takes around 2-3 hours. Otherwise you can snorkel around the shark area, have some rest and check the back side too. If you like to take a break between the snorkelling trips, there is a shadow area with benches and trees on the main Pigeon Island.

The Pigeon Island is located on the north-east coast of Sri Lanka therefore is affected by the north-east monsoon season starting from November and ending around February. The best time of the year to visit the Pigeon Island Marine National Park is from March until October. Sometimes is possible to visit the island in months of February and November but this depends on the sea conditions, wind, waves and underwater visibility. So to get the best snorkeling and scuba diving experience on the Pigeon Island, you should visit the east coast in months between March until October.

You don’t have to be a scuba diver to explore the beauty of the underwater world. While snorkeling on the Pigeon Island you can see juvenile and adult Black Tip Reef Sharks (length up to 2 meters). You can see from 5 up to 20 sharks during one snorkeling trip. If you have a look closely you can find other tropical fish such as cornet fish, parrot fish, angel fish, surgeon fish, titan trigger fish, sweetlips, boxfish, cleaner wrasse, moorish idol, banner fish, snappers, butterfly fish, squids, octopus, cuttlefish, moray eels or lobsters hiding between rocks. All around the island you can spot different species of sea turtles, including Green Sea Turtle, Hawksbill Sea Turtle or Olive Ridley Sea Turtle.

Pigeon Island Marine National Park is the best place for snorkeling in Sri Lanka! Where else you can swim with Black Tip Reef Sharks and different species of sea turtles? You will definitely love this place. It’s a snorkeler’s paradise! Pigeon Island is also family friendly and you can spend time on the island with the whole family. There is plenty of shadow and benches to sit on while not in the water. Also you go snorkelling from the beach and sharks are located in shallow depth so snorkeling on Pigeon Island is suitable for children.

As a scuba diver you can dive around all rocks in the Pigeon Island area. You find very nice and healthy corals around the main Pigeon Island. It’s not possible to scuba dive with the black tip reef sharks on the Pigeon Island, they are only spotted while snorkeling. But you will be near to spectacular tropical fish of the Indian Ocean. From the Marine Life, you can spot scorpion fish, lion fish, sting rays, sea turtles, moray eels, cuttlefish, squids, octopus, anemone fish, puffer fish, crown of thorns star fish, mantis shrimp, spiny lobsters, nudibranchs and more. All dive sites in this area are very shallow around 10-12 meters depth. The visibility is good in the morning same as in the afternoon. Depending on the conditions it can be even 15-25 meters of underwater visibility. You can scuba dive on the Pigeon Island in two slots, in the morning starting at 8:30am or afternoon at 1:30 pm. The best months for scuba diving on Pigeon Island are between March until October.

Before you enter the Pigeon Island Marine National Park you must purchase the Entrance Ticket. If you have a snorkeling or scuba diving trip arranged with us – Divinguru, we purchase the ticket prior the trip so you don’t have to worry. The price for the Entrance Ticket for a foreigner is around 40 Euros (updated September 2022). This price includes: the entrance ticket to Pigeon Island, boat ticket and parking fee. It is not a fixed price as it depends how many people is on the boat so they share the boat parking fee, etc. Sri Lankan people and Sri Lankan Residence Visa holders have a significant discount on the Entrance Ticket. Children below 12 pay half price. Kids from 0 to 6 years are free of charge to enter the Pigeon Island area.

You must wear a life jacket all the time during the boat transport. The life vest is required to wear as long you are on the boat. During the snorkelling trip you don’t need one if you are a good swimmer, but of course, you can keep it all the time.

Firstly, just for your information, there is no bathroom, restroom or toilet on the main island, only the sea and a little forest. There is also a small ticket counter where they only check tickets, they don’t sell tickets there. All Entrance Tickets and fees must be purchased and paid before entering the Pigeon Island Marine National Park Area.

1. Be wise and respect the shark’s area and DO NOT enter inside the marked protected “Shark Area”.
2. Leave nothing but bubbles.
3. Do not throw rubbish in the water or on the beach.
4. Do not step on the corals. (you might see already many dead corals on the beach)
5. Try to avoid any contact with organisms under the water.
6. Clean your mask before going to the water with a defogger or spit saliva onto the glass of the mask otherwise, the mask will fog up.

The Pigeon Island Marine National Park is an amazing place for swimming and snorkeling with Black Tip Reef Sharks, almost the only one in whole Sri Lanka. The sharks are staying mainly in the protected rectangular area on the front side of the Main Pigeon Island. The shark area is marked with buoy lines so you can’t miss is. You see sharks rarely in the back side of the Pigeon Island. You might try the sharks area two or three times as sometimes you see more sharks and sometimes even more 🙂 You have to be in the right place at the right time. Be patient and look inside the “Shark Area” (rectangular shape) and you definitely see a shark passing there. You can see most sharks on the side parallel to the shore. The Black Tip Reef Sharks are located in the shallow coral reef area.

The Pigeon Island Marine National Park is open from 9am until 5pm. There is not much difference in the underwater visibility as the whole snorkeling trip is very shallow so you can see plenty of things all day long. But the weather conditions such as waves and wind can slightly rise in the afternoon. So generally mornings are better. However, as the Pigeon Island is a famous tourist attraction, it can get very crowded in the mornings, sometimes up to 25 boats parking on the main island. So to avoid crowds, it might be a good idea to go in the afternoon when there is significantly less people and you don’t get sunburn as much 🙂

Find our more about Snorkeling on the Pigeon Island and other Snorkeling Trips around Nilaveli and Trincomalee, on our Snorkeling Page.

If you book directly on Divinguru website, at least 48 hours before the Snorkeling Trip, you get 10% discount for the whole booking.

Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful places all over the world. As a favorite travel destination, on a list, of every adventurer or budget traveler. It combines breathtaking nature heritage, impressive historic sites, endless beaches, tea plantations, good weather all year round, crazy buses, delicious curries and much more!

Traveling around Sri Lanka is quite easy and cheap. You can choose from plenty of options. If you are looking for an adventure, rent a tuk-tuk and discover new places. The world’s most scenic train ride you can see from Kandy to Ella by train. The journey takes approximately 7 hours and second class ticket costs around 1 €. Cheap option are buses, however the traffic in Sri Lanka is very similar to India. Connection between south India and Sri Lanka we might find in their cuisine. Spices and herbs make dishes delicious and exotic. There’s nothing more common than Sri Lankan rice and curry. Kottu Roti is a street food extremely popular by locals and visitors. Essential product in Sri Lankan kitchen is coconut milk, which makes Sri Lanka one of the most vegetarian and vegan friendly countries in the world.

Tired after traveling, lazy with full stomach you might search for accommodation. To find hostel, guest house or hotel is very easy. Use online bookings or ask locals. People here are friendly and trying to give you useful information. If you want to escape from a crowd, you can go hiking and you’ll see peaceful nature, waterfalls, tea plantations and spectacular mountain ranges. A lot of historic sites are in inland, Dambulla Cave Temple, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Temple of the Tooth and much more. For animal lovers check out Yala National Park, home of the densest population of spotted leopards in the world. You can also spot elephants, tropical birds, lizards, and a variety of lovely flora and fauna. If you move to the coast, there you’ll find busier beaches full of restaurants and activities. A romantic sunset sounds better for you? Sri Lanka has much more to offer.

Endless beaches, where you can spend a whole day out of the crowd. These beaches with wild ocean are waiting for you in the south of Sri Lanka, such as Ambalangoda beach or beaches between Habaraduwa and Koggala. Traveling to the east coast, you might like beach in Nilaveli or Kalkudah beach.

Speaking about ocean, Sri Lanka is famous for watersports. For surf lovers it’s a paradise! Waves are not that giant, they are smaller and longer, that’s why is Sri Lanka good option for all levels. Few spots which you might find interesting for surfing are in Weligama, Hikkaduwa, between Unawatuna and Galle (Dewata Beach), however on the south coast you may find surf schools almost everywhere. The main place where you can enjoy surfing from May to September is around Arugam Bay. Thanks to double monsoon season Sri Lanka has good weather at any time of the year, depends on which part you would like to travel. Best time to visit south coast is from October to April. Except for surfing, you can explore more from the sea world.

To find out more about turtles, visit Sea Turtle Hatcheries in Habaraduwa or Hikkaduwa. If you’re looking for a nice trip with family, you might be interested in Dolphin and Whale Watching near Mirissa (south) or in Nilaveli (east). Depends on the season of the year, so it’s better to make your plan in advance.

Snorkeling is great option how to watch vibrant coral reefs, rocks and coral fishes below. You don’t need any special equipment or skills to get know the fascinating marine life. Unawatuna Bay (south coast) combines snorkeling and diving at the same place. The advantage of booking a boat trip with a diving center is that you get all equipment and a guide who takes care of you and shows you spots you might overlook. Popular in Unawatuna Bay are boat trips to the Rock Island and the Jungle Beach. Snorkeling with turtles you can at well-known Dalawella beach, located few minutes by tuk-tuk from Unawatuna Bay. This “Turtle Beach”, except for turtles in a lagoon, is famous for the palm tree rope swing, which you cannot miss. Visiting the east coast, check up the historic city of Trincomalee surrounded by white sand beach, great for snorkeling and diving. You should definitely book a ride to the famous Pigeon Island Marine Park, located approximately 20 minutes boat ride from Nilaveli beach.

Pigeon Island is one of the two Marine National Parks of Sri Lanka. Around 100 species of corals and 300 coral reef fishes, that’s the absolute highlight at your stay in Trincomalee district. Explore living corals, colorful marine life such as Moorish Idols, Box Fish, Parrot Fish, Butterfly fish, Lion Fish, Moray Eels, Cornetfish, Starfish, Blacktip Reef Sharks and Turtles (mostly Green Sea turtle and Hawksbill turtle).

Enjoy the underwater world more and uncover wonders of the deep blue ocean. From dazzling coral reefs through tiny nudibranchs to massive whale sharks.

Sri Lanka is an amazing diving destination and paradise for shipwreck lovers. Wrecks are suitable for all diver levels, from Open Water Divers to technical divers. If you’re looking for life-changing moments, try scuba diving! You don’t need any previous experience. Many dive centers have programs for beginners, so you can try what it’s like to breathe underwater. When your trip is nearly finished, you can stop over in the Maldives. Fascinating country, located just one hour by plane from Sri Lanka.