Trincomalee Diving & Snorkelling

Dive Pigeon Island's coral and swim the white sands of Nilaveli on the east coast.

What the Trincomalee Diving & Snorkelling is really like.

Trincomalee, set on one of the world's finest natural harbours, anchors the east coast's best diving and snorkelling. Just offshore, Pigeon Island National Park protects a living coral reef alive with reef fish and blacktip reef sharks in the shallows. The long white beach at Nilaveli is the base, with whale and dolphin trips offshore in season. The calm east-coast window runs from May to September.

At a glance

Best season: May – September
Typical duration: Full day
Regions: 2

Moment by moment

How the day unfolds.

Step 01
Boat to Pigeon Island
Take the short boat from Nilaveli to Pigeon Island National Park and its protected coral reef.
Step 02
Snorkel the reef
Float over living coral thick with reef fish, and watch blacktip reef sharks cruise the shallows.
Step 03
Dive the deeper sites
Certified divers head to the reefs and a wreck offshore, with good visibility in the calm season.
Step 04
Nilaveli sands
Back on the mainland, stretch out on the long white beach at Nilaveli between swims.
Step 05
Whales offshore
In season, head out by boat to look for blue and sperm whales feeding off the Trincomalee coast.