Weligama
From the beautiful bay of Weligama it is possible to visit a plane wreck just south off the coast near Koggala, a World War Two airstrip operating Catalina flying-boats, which played a significant role in detecting the Japanese invasion fleet in 1942.
Matara
There is good diving on the reef off Matara only in February and March, when drought causes the waters of the nearby Nilwala Ganga to ebb, thus reducing turbidity where they enter the sea.
Great Basses & Little Basses Reefs
These reefs provide possibly the best diving Sri Lanka can offer. The rocky outcrops of the Great and Little Basses are surrounded by sandstone reefs carved into strange formations by time and tide. Several shipwrecks are to be found here, including one of unknown origin, but at least 300 years old, which in 1961 was discovered by Mike Wilson during the filming of his underwater short film Boy Beneath the Sea. In it were found several cannon and thousands of silver Moghul rupees, all dated 1702.
However, it is to see the myriad fish and occasional marine mammal that most divers go to the Basses. There are porpoises, harmless grey sharks, dog-toothed tuna, groupers, caranx, snappers, angelfish, skates and rays. The one limitation in diving here is that the ocean is often rough and the currents very strong. As a result only around 50 days per year are available for diving, from early March to mid-April.
