Coral reef
In shallow water.
Luboš Holič — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luboš Holič — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luboš Holič — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Alexey Komarov — CC BY 3.0 · Alexey Komarov — CC BY 3.0 · Alexey Komarov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lahiru Ruchiran — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Uthpala97 — CC BY-SA 4.0
A marine national park one kilometre off Nilaveli Beach, north of Trincomalee on the east coast. It takes in two small islands ringed by some of the best remaining coral reefs in Sri Lanka, and is named after the rock pigeons that nest there. It was declared a sanctuary in 1963 and a national park in 2003. The larger island is about 200 metres long and fringed by branching coral reef, while rocky islets surround the smaller one. The clear, shallow water makes it one of the finest snorkelling spots in the country, with colourful fish, turtles and small reef sharks, per visitor guides. On land there is a beach of broken coral and a short trail among the rocks. Boats run from Nilaveli, and foreign visitors pay the park entry fee plus the boat fare, per visitor guides. The best season is roughly April to September, when the east coast sea is calm. Do not touch or stand on the coral, and take your rubbish back with you.
In shallow water.
And reef fish.
From Nilaveli.
Off Nilaveli Beach, north of Trincomalee
By boat from Nilaveli Beach north of Trincomalee, paying the park fee plus the boat fare, per visitor guides.