Attraction

Pigeon Island in Trincomalee

If you’re vacationing in Trincomalee, a trip to the famous Pigeon Island is an absolute must. This wondrous national park contains some of the best coral reef found in Sri Lanka and is home to a menagerie of fascinating marine life. Simply put, an excursion out here is sure to stick with you for many years to come.

Pigeon Island is found about a kilometre off-shore from the famous Nilaveli Beach – a fantastic attraction in its own right. There are actually two separate islands – large pigeon island and small pigeon island. Both islands get their names from the massive flocks of rock pigeon that nest amidst islands’ jagged cliffs. The larger of the two islands are fringed by a great coral reef which is around 200-metre longs. This entire section is considered as a national park – it is in fact, one of only two marine national parks found in Sri Lanka.

The main attraction of Pigeon Island is, of course, its reef, so you’ll have to dive in to experience it. A wide array of different coral species grows here though Acropora species tend to dominate. Several species of soft coral are also found here, and they can make for some peculiar sights beneath the waves. Many different varieties of marine life have found refuge amidst these reefs. In fact, over 300 different varieties of reef fish are known to frequent these water – these can put on a striking array of colour as you snorkel pas them.

One of the most thrilling experiences to be had here is found on the shallow coral beds. Here, schools of blacktip reef sharks scour the water in search of prey. Few things can match up to the excitement of swimming amidst these awesome predators.

From Colombo
291 km
Time Duration
6 h 11 min
Entrance Ticket
No

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