Here's How:
Fold the strap over the front of the mask so that it is out of the way.
Hold the mask against your face.
Make sure it fits comfortably around your eyes and nose.
Choose another size if necessary.
While the mask is against your face, inhale through your nose.
The vacuum created in the mask should hold it against your face when you take your hand away.
If the mask doesn't stay put, repeat the process until you find one that does.
Tips:
Don't settle for an ill-fitting mask.
If you find more than one mask that fits, compare the features before making your purchase decision.
Friday, September 10, 2004
Before You Purchase Snorkel Equipment
Snorkeling is one of the easiest, safest and most pleasant ways to explore the underwater world. Snorkel equipment is quite simple and you only need three essential pieces of gear: a mask, a snorkel, and a set of fins. The right equipment will make your experience an event to remember.
The Mask
If you are going to purchase only one piece of equipment, buy a proper fitting mask. It is the most important piece of equipment for snorkeling; it is your window to the underwater world. A correctly fitted mask will keep water out. The most common reason a mask leaks is that hair is trapped under the skirt. Brush away any stray hair before trying on a mask.
The Snorkel
Your snorkel allows you to breathe through your mouth while floating face down in the water. Using the snorkel efficiently and comfortably requires practice. After all, humans are used to breathing through their noses. To make matters easy, you can buy a snorkel with a purge valve to help remove unwanted water. Also, there are special masks for left-handed people.
The Fins
Snorkel fins ought to be flexible and lightweight. There are two basic styles: full foot and adjustable strap. Full foot fins are typically lighter, but adjustable strap fins allow you to protect your feet by wearing booties. Neoprene booties guard your feet from jagged coral and any sharp objects on the bottom or in the sand.
The Mask
If you are going to purchase only one piece of equipment, buy a proper fitting mask. It is the most important piece of equipment for snorkeling; it is your window to the underwater world. A correctly fitted mask will keep water out. The most common reason a mask leaks is that hair is trapped under the skirt. Brush away any stray hair before trying on a mask.
The Snorkel
Your snorkel allows you to breathe through your mouth while floating face down in the water. Using the snorkel efficiently and comfortably requires practice. After all, humans are used to breathing through their noses. To make matters easy, you can buy a snorkel with a purge valve to help remove unwanted water. Also, there are special masks for left-handed people.
The Fins
Snorkel fins ought to be flexible and lightweight. There are two basic styles: full foot and adjustable strap. Full foot fins are typically lighter, but adjustable strap fins allow you to protect your feet by wearing booties. Neoprene booties guard your feet from jagged coral and any sharp objects on the bottom or in the sand.
Improve Your Snorkeling Technique - 7 Easy Tips
The key to successful snorkeling is relaxation in the water. It is as much a psychological as it is a physical skill. You will improve your skills and become comfortable in the water with practice. Here are some training tips.
Put all your equipment on and practice floating in the face down and horizontal positions. Don’t swim; just calmly float. You can do this in shallow water or a swimming pool.
Prepare for mask and/or snorkel floods. If a flood happens in open water, it can be distressing to someone who is not ready to handle the situation. Practice this skill by floating in shallow water and deliberately flooding and clearing your equipment. Here’s how:
To flood your mask, gently pull it away from your face and allow water to enter the mask. To clear it out, lift your head out of the water and tilt the bottom of the mask away from your face and allow the water to drain out.
To flood your snorkel, immerse your head under the water until your snorkel fills up. Remember to hold your breath! To clear your snorkel, exhale a burst of air through your mouth to blast the water out. Then take a cautious first breath to make sure all the water is gone.
In the water, objects look 25% larger (or closer) than they really are. You can practice judging distance by floating in very shallow water and reaching down to touch the bottom. This will help you learn how far an “arm’s length” is underwater.
Walking with fins on can be uncertain on dry land or on a boat. If you are snorkeling from shore, try putting your fins on and removing them in waist deep water. If you are snorkeling from a boat, don’t put your fins on until it is time to enter the water and take them off at the boat ladder before getting back on the boat.
To use your fins correctly, you must use an efficient kick. You can do this by using a slow flutter kick motion. Try to keep your knees and ankles relaxed to prevent your leg muscles from cramping. Once you are proficient in this skill, you will notice that your fins propel you through the water. You will hardly need to use your arms and can let them rest easily at your side, or keep one arm floating in front of your head to act as a bumper.
Once you have mastered using your equipment, practice controlling your movements in the water. You will feel more comfortable and calm in the water as you improve your maneuvering abilities and you will minimize accidental bump-ins with objects in the water such as other snorkelers, reef elements, buoys, etc.
Knowing your personal limitations is a vital skill often overlooked. Recognize them and remain alert to them. There is no good reason to push your limits. They will change with each snorkeling opportunity presented. Factors to consider are water temperature, surge, currents, and visibility. Your personal limitations will also change when you gain experience, get older, or have a change in health.
A relaxed snorkeler gets more pleasure out of snorkeling and a greater appreciation of the environment. A calm snorkeler seems less threatening and when the aquatic wildlife realizes you are not a threat, they resume their normal routine, allowing you to experience their world.
Put all your equipment on and practice floating in the face down and horizontal positions. Don’t swim; just calmly float. You can do this in shallow water or a swimming pool.
Prepare for mask and/or snorkel floods. If a flood happens in open water, it can be distressing to someone who is not ready to handle the situation. Practice this skill by floating in shallow water and deliberately flooding and clearing your equipment. Here’s how:
To flood your mask, gently pull it away from your face and allow water to enter the mask. To clear it out, lift your head out of the water and tilt the bottom of the mask away from your face and allow the water to drain out.
To flood your snorkel, immerse your head under the water until your snorkel fills up. Remember to hold your breath! To clear your snorkel, exhale a burst of air through your mouth to blast the water out. Then take a cautious first breath to make sure all the water is gone.
In the water, objects look 25% larger (or closer) than they really are. You can practice judging distance by floating in very shallow water and reaching down to touch the bottom. This will help you learn how far an “arm’s length” is underwater.
Walking with fins on can be uncertain on dry land or on a boat. If you are snorkeling from shore, try putting your fins on and removing them in waist deep water. If you are snorkeling from a boat, don’t put your fins on until it is time to enter the water and take them off at the boat ladder before getting back on the boat.
To use your fins correctly, you must use an efficient kick. You can do this by using a slow flutter kick motion. Try to keep your knees and ankles relaxed to prevent your leg muscles from cramping. Once you are proficient in this skill, you will notice that your fins propel you through the water. You will hardly need to use your arms and can let them rest easily at your side, or keep one arm floating in front of your head to act as a bumper.
Once you have mastered using your equipment, practice controlling your movements in the water. You will feel more comfortable and calm in the water as you improve your maneuvering abilities and you will minimize accidental bump-ins with objects in the water such as other snorkelers, reef elements, buoys, etc.
Knowing your personal limitations is a vital skill often overlooked. Recognize them and remain alert to them. There is no good reason to push your limits. They will change with each snorkeling opportunity presented. Factors to consider are water temperature, surge, currents, and visibility. Your personal limitations will also change when you gain experience, get older, or have a change in health.
A relaxed snorkeler gets more pleasure out of snorkeling and a greater appreciation of the environment. A calm snorkeler seems less threatening and when the aquatic wildlife realizes you are not a threat, they resume their normal routine, allowing you to experience their world.
How to Clear Your Snorkel
There's no doubt about it. Water will get into your snorkel, whether you submerse yourself intentionaly or a wave splashes water into it. It's an important scuba/snorkel skill you need to know.
Here's How:
Allow yourself to sink below the water until you face is just under the water.
Take a deep breath through your snorkel.
Hold your breath.
Completeley submerse yourself and your snorkel in the water.
Rise to your original position.
Blow a sharp blast of air through your snorkel.
Slowly inhale to see if there is still water in it.
If there is still water in the snorkel, blow another short blast into it.
When the snorkel is clear, continue to breath normally through it.
Tips:
Try not to exhale all your air on the first blast.
When checking to see if the airway is clear don't suck in a huge gulp of air. Do it slowly.
Perfect this skill in a swimming pool first.
Here's How:
Allow yourself to sink below the water until you face is just under the water.
Take a deep breath through your snorkel.
Hold your breath.
Completeley submerse yourself and your snorkel in the water.
Rise to your original position.
Blow a sharp blast of air through your snorkel.
Slowly inhale to see if there is still water in it.
If there is still water in the snorkel, blow another short blast into it.
When the snorkel is clear, continue to breath normally through it.
Tips:
Try not to exhale all your air on the first blast.
When checking to see if the airway is clear don't suck in a huge gulp of air. Do it slowly.
Perfect this skill in a swimming pool first.
How to Clear Your Snorkel Mask
Sometimes while scuba diving, water finds its way into your mask. If your mask fills with water, you can't see a thing. Not only that, it is a required skill for certification.
Here's How:
Completeley submerse yourself in the water.
Pull your wask away from your face.
Allow the water to flood your mask.
Don't panic.
Continue breathing through your snorkel or regulator.
Gently tilt your head backwards.
Press the top of the mask against your forhead with one hand.
Take a deep breath through the snorkel or regulator.
Gently exhale the air through your nose. (The air will force the water out).
When the mask is completely clear of water, replace your mask so that it has a snug fit.
Continue to breath normally through your snorkel or regulator.
Tips:
If you fail to be successful the first time, try it again.
If you continue to have trouble clearing your mask, check for intereferences (twisted straps, hair, or a cracked seal).
Perfect your skills in a swimming pool first.
Here's How:
Completeley submerse yourself in the water.
Pull your wask away from your face.
Allow the water to flood your mask.
Don't panic.
Continue breathing through your snorkel or regulator.
Gently tilt your head backwards.
Press the top of the mask against your forhead with one hand.
Take a deep breath through the snorkel or regulator.
Gently exhale the air through your nose. (The air will force the water out).
When the mask is completely clear of water, replace your mask so that it has a snug fit.
Continue to breath normally through your snorkel or regulator.
Tips:
If you fail to be successful the first time, try it again.
If you continue to have trouble clearing your mask, check for intereferences (twisted straps, hair, or a cracked seal).
Perfect your skills in a swimming pool first.
Simple Snorkeling Tips:
Clean your mask before snorkeling by wetting it, then spitting into it and spreading the saliva around with your fingers. Then rinse out the mask. This is a useful tip to prevent the mask from fogging up.
Make sure that your hair is not trapped under the seal of the mask. This will cause the mask to leak.
If water gets into the breathing tube, blow sharply through the tube to expel it.
If water gets inside the mask, breathe in through the snorkel and out through your nose while pressing the top of the mask against your forehead.
Always snorkel with a partner.
When diving down, pop your ears by holding your nose and gently trying to blow out through it. Swallowing can also help your ears to pop. Make sure to do this gently or it can rupture your ears!
You can buy mask, fins, and snorkel at home at Costco, Wal-Mart, or the like for a good price, and be ready to go when you get to vacation! This will also help to ensure that you get good fitting equipment that won't leak.
Most hotels and dive shops rent snorkeling gear for around $5/day.
Remember, sandy beaches are great for sunning yourself, but rotten for snorkeling. Stick to the coral and the rocks and you'll see much more sea life.
We've included links to information about the fantastic snorkeling of the area below. Click on a link to jump to the section that interests you.
Make sure that your hair is not trapped under the seal of the mask. This will cause the mask to leak.
If water gets into the breathing tube, blow sharply through the tube to expel it.
If water gets inside the mask, breathe in through the snorkel and out through your nose while pressing the top of the mask against your forehead.
Always snorkel with a partner.
When diving down, pop your ears by holding your nose and gently trying to blow out through it. Swallowing can also help your ears to pop. Make sure to do this gently or it can rupture your ears!
You can buy mask, fins, and snorkel at home at Costco, Wal-Mart, or the like for a good price, and be ready to go when you get to vacation! This will also help to ensure that you get good fitting equipment that won't leak.
Most hotels and dive shops rent snorkeling gear for around $5/day.
Remember, sandy beaches are great for sunning yourself, but rotten for snorkeling. Stick to the coral and the rocks and you'll see much more sea life.
We've included links to information about the fantastic snorkeling of the area below. Click on a link to jump to the section that interests you.
Making the Most of the Reef by John Liddiard
I remember the first time I dived on a coral reef I thought it was fantastic. I just cruised along taking in the good visibility and shoals of little fish and admiring the overall scene.
Hanging off the reef and taking in the big view pretty much set my style of reef diving for several years. After a while I developed a habit of occasionally looking out into the blue in case anything big passed by. I am sure I am not alone in this. Most divers I meet in tropical locations like to just swim along and admire the view.
98199_11_small.jpg Exploring the reef, but also taking time to look for some of the fascinating macro lifeI would plan each foreign trip to dive on a yet more spectacular area of reef to get a buzz from taking in yet another big view. And that is where the problem lies. After a while I had OD'd on the big view. I would cruise along a superb stretch of reef and come out having had a nice dive, but also thinking it was not really any better than the previous location. Even worse, between the reefs that fall into the "magnificent scene" category there are those reefs that fill in the gaps. Like any junkie I was having problems getting a big enough fix for a new thrill.
I started looking for more than just reef. I planned trips to locations where I could see wrecks, manta rays, whale sharks and enormous shoals of sharks. The reef was merely a location where these big extras could be found. But there were still dives where I was diving on a coral reef with no added extras.
How many of you recognise the symptoms? Do you go to dive a pristine coral reef and end up disappointed with all but the few “best” dive sites? I think that many of us fall into this trap. The root of the problem is the good visibility that draws us to tropical diving. We all tend to cover much larger distances than we would on the average UK dive. It is so easy to get into the habit of looking at nothing but the overall picture. We can't see the trees for the wood!
It all changed for me when I joined one of the early Coral Cay Conservation expeditions in Belize. Many sections of the Belize barrier reef were plenty good enough for an overall fix of magnificent, but we were surveying the whole area, not just the reef wall. In the course of learning to identify and survey corals and fishes I also learned the trick of getting the most out of the more barren stretches of reef, sea grass beds and even mangroves.
One way of livening up your reef diving is to get in to watching fish behaviour. A starting point is to keep an eye out for cleaner fish. Small blue or yellow wrasse just a few centimeters long which may patrol an area of a couple of square metres on the reef. Having found your fish, just float back a bit, hold still and watch what comes along for a clean up.
00_42_10_crop_small.jpg 33kbytes Goby and shrimpLook closely at the sand and you may spot pairs of gobies and shrimps. The shrimp maintains a burrow in the sand, continually working as a bulldozer to keep the hole clear of sand, while the goby keeps lookout.
There are lots of different types of shrimp and they all have their preferred locations on the reef, from cracks in the rock to amongst the tentacles of anemones. While you are looking amongst the tentacles of an anemone also have a look for porcelain crabs living under the anemone. These small crabs have fine net like attachments they wave in the water to sieve plankton.
99243_03_crop_small.jpg 29k. getting in close to a brain coralEven with nothing else to look at, the actual shapes and structure of corals can be fascinating. Corals that look alike form a distance will often turn out to be different species when you get up close to the polyps. Particular favourites of mine are brain corals, where each species has a different structure of ridges and grooves.
98207_05_crop_small.jpg 19kbytes Goby on whip coralWhile you are looking closely at the coral, keep an eye out for small gobies nestling between the polyps.
Gobies can also be found on soft corals. Perhaps one of the more unusual locations I have seen gobies is on lengths of whip coral; a completely one-dimensional home. Hold a finger out and you can chase them up and down the length of the whip coral - a train set for divers.
99372_05_crop_small.jpg 42kbytes Sea horseThere are many more small things to keep an eye out for. Incredibly hard to find, but a subject that will make any dive are seahorses.
So next time the reef starts to look a bit ordinary and the dive is not as exciting as you had hoped, get in close and find something small to look at. Then having found it, watch for a while and see what happens.
Hanging off the reef and taking in the big view pretty much set my style of reef diving for several years. After a while I developed a habit of occasionally looking out into the blue in case anything big passed by. I am sure I am not alone in this. Most divers I meet in tropical locations like to just swim along and admire the view.
98199_11_small.jpg Exploring the reef, but also taking time to look for some of the fascinating macro lifeI would plan each foreign trip to dive on a yet more spectacular area of reef to get a buzz from taking in yet another big view. And that is where the problem lies. After a while I had OD'd on the big view. I would cruise along a superb stretch of reef and come out having had a nice dive, but also thinking it was not really any better than the previous location. Even worse, between the reefs that fall into the "magnificent scene" category there are those reefs that fill in the gaps. Like any junkie I was having problems getting a big enough fix for a new thrill.
I started looking for more than just reef. I planned trips to locations where I could see wrecks, manta rays, whale sharks and enormous shoals of sharks. The reef was merely a location where these big extras could be found. But there were still dives where I was diving on a coral reef with no added extras.
How many of you recognise the symptoms? Do you go to dive a pristine coral reef and end up disappointed with all but the few “best” dive sites? I think that many of us fall into this trap. The root of the problem is the good visibility that draws us to tropical diving. We all tend to cover much larger distances than we would on the average UK dive. It is so easy to get into the habit of looking at nothing but the overall picture. We can't see the trees for the wood!
It all changed for me when I joined one of the early Coral Cay Conservation expeditions in Belize. Many sections of the Belize barrier reef were plenty good enough for an overall fix of magnificent, but we were surveying the whole area, not just the reef wall. In the course of learning to identify and survey corals and fishes I also learned the trick of getting the most out of the more barren stretches of reef, sea grass beds and even mangroves.
One way of livening up your reef diving is to get in to watching fish behaviour. A starting point is to keep an eye out for cleaner fish. Small blue or yellow wrasse just a few centimeters long which may patrol an area of a couple of square metres on the reef. Having found your fish, just float back a bit, hold still and watch what comes along for a clean up.
00_42_10_crop_small.jpg 33kbytes Goby and shrimpLook closely at the sand and you may spot pairs of gobies and shrimps. The shrimp maintains a burrow in the sand, continually working as a bulldozer to keep the hole clear of sand, while the goby keeps lookout.
There are lots of different types of shrimp and they all have their preferred locations on the reef, from cracks in the rock to amongst the tentacles of anemones. While you are looking amongst the tentacles of an anemone also have a look for porcelain crabs living under the anemone. These small crabs have fine net like attachments they wave in the water to sieve plankton.
99243_03_crop_small.jpg 29k. getting in close to a brain coralEven with nothing else to look at, the actual shapes and structure of corals can be fascinating. Corals that look alike form a distance will often turn out to be different species when you get up close to the polyps. Particular favourites of mine are brain corals, where each species has a different structure of ridges and grooves.
98207_05_crop_small.jpg 19kbytes Goby on whip coralWhile you are looking closely at the coral, keep an eye out for small gobies nestling between the polyps.
Gobies can also be found on soft corals. Perhaps one of the more unusual locations I have seen gobies is on lengths of whip coral; a completely one-dimensional home. Hold a finger out and you can chase them up and down the length of the whip coral - a train set for divers.
99372_05_crop_small.jpg 42kbytes Sea horseThere are many more small things to keep an eye out for. Incredibly hard to find, but a subject that will make any dive are seahorses.
So next time the reef starts to look a bit ordinary and the dive is not as exciting as you had hoped, get in close and find something small to look at. Then having found it, watch for a while and see what happens.
Oil Tanker Connections by John Liddiard
Does anyone remember a television documentary series from the 1970s called “Connections”, presented by James Burke? In each program he would trace a thread of history through a series of closely linked events, weakly linked events and just plain coincidences to explain the complicated reasons why certain things we take for granted had come about. A sort of historical trivial pursuit.
Every now and then I get to play something along those lines with shipwrecks.
The 3555-ton Conch was built in Stockton in 1892 for the Shell Transport and Trading Company. On 3 June 1903 the Conch was on the way from Novorossisk to Madras, via Colombo, when it struck Akarta rock off the SriLankan coast.
Th Conch went down resting against the rock, spilling oil and becoming Sri Lanka's first oil tanker wreck. This wasn't the only oil tanker called Conch to have come to grief. A 5620 ton tanker of the same name was built in 1909 by Swan Hunter and operated by the Anglo Saxon Oil Company.
On 8 December 1916 this Conch was steaming up the English Channel on its way from Rangoon to London with a cargo of 7,000 tons of benzene when it was torpedoed and sunk by UB23, 12 miles south of Anvil point in Dorset.
The SriLankan Conch was not the first steam powered oil tanker. That distinction belongs to the Gluck Auf, built in the UK in 1886 and I have absolutely no idea what became of it.
Neither was it the first to be wrecked. The first steam powered oil tanker to be wrecked in UK waters, and possibly the first to be wrecked anywhere in the World, was the 2026 ton Blesk, built in Gothenburg 1890.
On the 2 December 1896 the Blesk was on its way from Batoum in the Black Sea to Hamburg when the Eddystone lighthouse was mistaken for a light on the north coast of France. The course was corrected a little to the north and the Blesk steamed straight in to the Greystone to the east of Bolt Tail on the South Devon coast.
A few plates, all that remains of the Blesk, are diveable in 10 metres of water, though I confess that at the time of writing this I have not dived it.
The wreck of the Conch in SriLanka by John Liddiard
Situated about 10 miles from Hikkaduwa on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, the wreck of the early steam powered oil tanker “Conch” was recommended to me by local divers as the best wreck dive in the area.
On 3 June 1903 the 3555-ton Conch struck Akarta rock off the SriLankan coast. Just to confuse things, local divers refer to this rock as Passi rock. The Conch went down resting against the rock, spilling oil and becoming Sri Lanka's first oil tanker wreck.
Propeller. Link to copyright statement. 01_27_01_small.jpgFollowing the line down I hit the sand at 20 metres right next to the propeller. Visibility was a grainy 20 metres, nothing spectacular for tropical waters, but plenty good enough to enjoy the wreck.
A big V section of keel and stern is lying on its port side. I line up a few shots of the half buried propeller. I duck inside the stern section and pierce through a tightly packed shoal of glassfish for a brief swim along the propshaft to the engine. Like modern ships, the engine room of the Conch was at the stern, generally a configuration reserved for oil tankers until the latter half of the 20th century.
The engine room is completely broken open. The 3 cylinder 324 horsepower steam engine lies broken but recognisably laid out on one side, like it has been carefully dissected and pinned out in a biology class. Crankshaft, rods and pistons almost connecting.
Across a tangle of lattices and pipes, slightly higher on the reef, a trio of boilers rests awry, well away from their original configuration.
Inside an oil tank. Link to copyright statement. 01_27_18_small.jpgWith the engine room at the stern of the ship, everything further forward was oil tank. There may have once been an amidships superstructure and wheelhouse, but it would most likely have been of wooden construction and there is no sign of it now.
I pass a moderate spread of devastation before encountering a reasonably intact and completely upside down section of hull. The way inside is between the ribs of a bulkhead, the lighter steel panels of the bulkhead having rusted to dust. A small group of what looks from a distance like red snapper retreat beneath a plate off to one side. I have time for a few shots looking along the oil tank through undisturbed water before our guide and the rest of the group joins me.
I float gently through the 10 metre long steel cave, sculling my fins from side to side to avoid disturbing the visibility. Extricating myself through the bulkhead at the other end, I turn and wait to catch the rest of the group exiting on film.
Diver exiting oil tank. Link to copyright statement. 01_28_07_small.jpgForward is more devastation, with the main area of wreckage skewed slightly to my left. Nearing the bows I can pick out recognisable features amongst miscellaneous plates and girders. A cargo winch, a mast foot then a much larger anchor winch. A pile of chain has mostly rusted through to leave a jumble of fragile looking links.
The depth here is a mere 5 metres and the surge from the Indian Ocean is noticeable. I am careful to hover neutrally buoyant away from sharp edges of wreckage.
Right at the bows the structure of the Conch has collapsed flat on its port side. A pair of anchors, still in their steel hawse pipes, marks the end of the wreckage.
As I zig-zag back a short way, using up my remaining air, I take a bit more notice of the marine life. Whilst there is no real reef, small clumps of thorny corals are well established across the wreckage. Twitching shells indicate hermit crabs tucking into their homes as I pass.
There is a fair range of reef fish, including all the usual wrasse, moorish idols, bannerfish and damselfish. Not as many as on some of the reef dives I had made further north in Sri Lanka, but enough to add some colour to the wreck.
On 3 June 1903 the 3555-ton Conch struck Akarta rock off the SriLankan coast. Just to confuse things, local divers refer to this rock as Passi rock. The Conch went down resting against the rock, spilling oil and becoming Sri Lanka's first oil tanker wreck.
Propeller. Link to copyright statement. 01_27_01_small.jpgFollowing the line down I hit the sand at 20 metres right next to the propeller. Visibility was a grainy 20 metres, nothing spectacular for tropical waters, but plenty good enough to enjoy the wreck.
A big V section of keel and stern is lying on its port side. I line up a few shots of the half buried propeller. I duck inside the stern section and pierce through a tightly packed shoal of glassfish for a brief swim along the propshaft to the engine. Like modern ships, the engine room of the Conch was at the stern, generally a configuration reserved for oil tankers until the latter half of the 20th century.
The engine room is completely broken open. The 3 cylinder 324 horsepower steam engine lies broken but recognisably laid out on one side, like it has been carefully dissected and pinned out in a biology class. Crankshaft, rods and pistons almost connecting.
Across a tangle of lattices and pipes, slightly higher on the reef, a trio of boilers rests awry, well away from their original configuration.
Inside an oil tank. Link to copyright statement. 01_27_18_small.jpgWith the engine room at the stern of the ship, everything further forward was oil tank. There may have once been an amidships superstructure and wheelhouse, but it would most likely have been of wooden construction and there is no sign of it now.
I pass a moderate spread of devastation before encountering a reasonably intact and completely upside down section of hull. The way inside is between the ribs of a bulkhead, the lighter steel panels of the bulkhead having rusted to dust. A small group of what looks from a distance like red snapper retreat beneath a plate off to one side. I have time for a few shots looking along the oil tank through undisturbed water before our guide and the rest of the group joins me.
I float gently through the 10 metre long steel cave, sculling my fins from side to side to avoid disturbing the visibility. Extricating myself through the bulkhead at the other end, I turn and wait to catch the rest of the group exiting on film.
Diver exiting oil tank. Link to copyright statement. 01_28_07_small.jpgForward is more devastation, with the main area of wreckage skewed slightly to my left. Nearing the bows I can pick out recognisable features amongst miscellaneous plates and girders. A cargo winch, a mast foot then a much larger anchor winch. A pile of chain has mostly rusted through to leave a jumble of fragile looking links.
The depth here is a mere 5 metres and the surge from the Indian Ocean is noticeable. I am careful to hover neutrally buoyant away from sharp edges of wreckage.
Right at the bows the structure of the Conch has collapsed flat on its port side. A pair of anchors, still in their steel hawse pipes, marks the end of the wreckage.
As I zig-zag back a short way, using up my remaining air, I take a bit more notice of the marine life. Whilst there is no real reef, small clumps of thorny corals are well established across the wreckage. Twitching shells indicate hermit crabs tucking into their homes as I pass.
There is a fair range of reef fish, including all the usual wrasse, moorish idols, bannerfish and damselfish. Not as many as on some of the reef dives I had made further north in Sri Lanka, but enough to add some colour to the wreck.
Memories of a dive off the Sri Lankan coast by John Liddiard
Descending the line I can see a shoal of snapper below me, patrolling behind the smooth granite boulder the mooring line is shackled to. The current is brisk enough to concentrate the fish, but not too strong to swim against. I move up current and turn to catch the shoaling fish and mooring line with other divers descending. The visibility is a respectable 25 metres or so and the sunlight over my shoulder provides a deep blue background that doesn't require any camera tricks to duplicate.
I turn my attention to a pair of oriental sweetlips that had made their home to one side of a gully, complete with their very own resident cleaner wrasse. A blue ring angelfish is cruising the crest of the wall, where it starts to slope back a little. As I rise slightly to look past this vertical horizon I spot a titan trigger fish grinding at an oyster, complete with entourage of opportunist wrasse darting in to pick up some scraps. I alter my course towards it, but the triggerfish is spooked long before I get there, leaving the jubilant wrasse to dart in and clean up before chasing after their next free lunch.
By now, with a few days of SriLankan diving behind me, it did not come as a surprise to meet a lionfish patrolling the shoulder of the reef. For some reason the local lionfish like this sort of exposed position on the reef, though I cant fathom why. Anyway, it does make them easily accessible with a camera, so who's complaining.
On closer inspection the shoal is a mixture of different types of snapper with a few goatfish thrown in for good measure, various groups intermingling and separating as they manoeuvre in organised chaos.
The general rule on these dives is that fish either congregate on the leading edge of the reef or hide in the shelter of the down current side. I head cross current for the side of the reef then work my way up current, aiming to come to the leading edge from one side and below. The tactic works and I manage to catch a barracuda and another shoal of snapper above me.
Sri Lanka is not a dive destination renowned for coral reefs. The reefs here are smoothed granite humps rising from a generally flat sandy seabed at 30 metres. These oases of granite in a desert of sand attract huge concentrations of fish.
Outside of the diving season, monsoon waves scour the top of the reef keeping the attached marine life small. In the deeper and more sheltered water soft corals, sponges and black corals cling to the sheer granite wall. On closer inspection there are many small sprigs of less robust dark green branching corals closer in, with larger growths surviving in particularly well protected corners.I turn my attention to a pair of oriental sweetlips that had made their home to one side of a gully, complete with their very own resident cleaner wrasse. A blue ring angelfish is cruising the crest of the wall, where it starts to slope back a little. As I rise slightly to look past this vertical horizon I spot a titan trigger fish grinding at an oyster, complete with entourage of opportunist wrasse darting in to pick up some scraps. I alter my course towards it, but the triggerfish is spooked long before I get there, leaving the jubilant wrasse to dart in and clean up before chasing after their next free lunch.
By now, with a few days of SriLankan diving behind me, it did not come as a surprise to meet a lionfish patrolling the shoulder of the reef. For some reason the local lionfish like this sort of exposed position on the reef, though I cant fathom why. Anyway, it does make them easily accessible with a camera, so who's complaining.
The coastline on the west of Sri Lanka is flat and shallow. At Bentota a sandy seabed stretches offshore for many miles, with a clutch of granite reefs 6 or 7 miles offshore, rising from 25 or 30 metres to just a few metres below the surface.
Visibility is highly variable. Rivers to the north and south of the dive sites flush silty water out to sea, and currents along the coast bend the bands of silty water either towards or away from particular dive sites. If the visibility at a site was looking too low, the solution was simple, the boat just moved on to another site a mile or so away and we enjoyed better visibility there. There were a few catches, like murky surface layers following a night of rain, but even then visibility in deeper water was good.
Coral Sanctuary by Royal Exclusive Travel
Hikkaduwa's 'coral sanctuary' is stretching out from Hikkaduwa shore to a group of rocks a couple of hundreds meters offshore. It is a large and shallow that enclosed by a reef - fishing and spear fishing are prohibited in the area. Visitors can swim to the reef as the water over the reef is never more than three or four meters deep. In the sanctuary the coral is not being torn up or burnt to make lime for building as is happening elsewhere at Hikkaduwa. Thus, the beach is being eroded in places. Renting a mask, snorkel and fins from dive centers available in the area is possible.
(http://www.sri-lanka-tour.com/attraction/coral-sanctuary.htm)
(http://www.sri-lanka-tour.com/attraction/coral-sanctuary.htm)
BEACH by Royal Exclusive Travel
Over one thousand kilometers of palm fringed sandy beaches encircle the Island. Sri Lanka is never out of season for a beach holiday. There is always some part of the beach that has friendly and warm waters. The beach resorts in the North Coast, West Coast, East Coast and the South Coast are popular among the tourists who enjoy taking a dip in the warm waters and relaxing on the sandy beach.
North Coast
Jaffna
Situated in the north 398 km away from Colombo, Jaffna has an austere kind of beauty that is vastly different from the rest of the island. A vacation on its virgin beaches, coralline coast, off shore islets, and in the peninsula that is expressing a very distinctive way of life can be an enigmatic experience for a traveler. Not to be missed are the sand dunes of Manalkadu - a miniscule desert whose sheer wildness - that impresses most visitors. Casuarina Beach is situated at Karainagar and there are good beaches as well at Santhakulam and Thondaimannar.
Mannar Island
The Island is probably the driest, most barren area in Sri Lanka. The landscape features many baobab trees, probably introduced from Africa by Arab traders centuries ago. Mannar, the major town on the island, is at the southern end, joined the mainland by a 3 km causeway. It's not interesting apart from its picturesque Portuguese/Dutch fort. Talaimannar, near the western end, is about 3 km from the pier that was the arrival and departure point of the ferry for India that operated until 1984. A little farther west, an abandoned lighthouse at South Point marks the start of Adam's Bridge, the chain of reefs, sandbanks and islets that almost connects Sri Lanka to India. In the Ramayana, this is the series of stepping stones that Hanuman used to follow Rawana, the demon king of Lanka, in his bid to rescue Sita.
West Coast
The West Coast broadly stretches from Mt. Lavinia, a southern suburb of Colombo to Mannar Island in the lower northwest. Mt. Lavinia and Negombo are considered the best developed beach resorts in this region. Isolated hotels have sprung up in most places along the western coastal stretch.
Negombo
The major beach resort in the West Coast is Negombo which is a characteristic fishing town in Gampaha district, 37 km north of Colombo, merely 6 km from the International Airport. The wide sandy beaches and its safe sea attract thousands of visitors to Negombo. Set amid lush groves of coconut palms, it breathes the spirit of the sea. Negombo is also a gourmet's paradise with seafood in plenty. The fish market where there are busy trading of a variety of fish, prawns, crabs and seer that take place lively in the mornings, when the fishing crafts return to the shore with their catch, is a worth visiting place. The most popular fishing craft is the outrigger canoe called 'oruwa' dug out from a huge log which is seen in large numbers in the Negombo lagoon.
Mount Lavinia
Situated in the South Colombo 12 km away from the city, Mount Lavinia is a suburb of always well known beach since the colonial time. The sea is a safe and popular bathing spot. Its clean sandy beaches, lies alongside a wind swept headland, are jutting into the waters of the Indian Ocean with softest sand and the calm and clear water. The name Lavinia reminds of a secret love affair between a British Governor and a local damsel who used to meet at the holiday house of the Governor, built in 1805 by Sir Thomas Maitland, which now became part of the famous Mount Lavinia Hotel.
East Coast
From April to October, the East Coast comes to life. It is one of the best stretches of beach in Sri Lanka. The Eastern beaches stretch for over 300 kilometers along which tourist resorts are developed.
Trincomalee
Situated 257 km from Colombo, this city is the ideal refuge for the beach addicts. It comprises a fine natural harbor and excellent beaches. Horatio Nelson - the British admiral of the 18th century - had, on arriving at the Trincomalee harbor, described it as the finest harbor in the world. This beautiful harbor was in use since the days of the early Sinhala kings. At the site there is an old Portuguese/Dutch Fort which has an inscription above its entrance, made by Dutch in 1676, is reminiscent of the colonial rule. It was subsequently named 'Ford Frederick' by the British.
Nilaveli
Located in Trincomalee district, 271 from Colombo or 14 km from Trincomalee, Nilaveli is a prime beach resort in the east coast. It is ideally suited for sun bathing, swimming and diving. Also, at few meters off shore, there is a small rocky island that is good for snorkeling. All water sports are available here including fishing and sea angling and whale watching in the sanctuary. In 1985, Nilaveli was the venue for the 1985 International Funboard Championships.
Arugam Bay
Further east, 314 km from Colombo, in Ampara district is a most beautiful bay good for surfing. Arugam Bay is a fishing village with a wide, sweeping beach in front of the village itself that has a low promontory and is good for swimming. The East coast offers unlimited possibility for many kinds of water sports and underwater photography. The many ship-wrecks of the coast are a tempting challenge to many divers.
Kalkudah & Passekudah
A 2 km-long Kalkudah Bay, 32 km north of Batticaloa, is one of fine beaches in the east coast that is well protected from the monsoon by the off shore reef. Passekudah Bay is another wide beach with the length of 4 km located to the south of Kalkudah and is a lovely bay with clear water. The combined area of Passekudah and Kalkudah was declared as a National Holiday Resort in 1973. This is an ideal site for bathing, windsurfing and water skiing and is a well frequented tourist center with a modern hotel and related facilities.
Batticaloa
The city is like most other coastal townships that were under Portuguese and Dutch rule. A Dutch Fort stands close to the Batticaloa lagoon. The most famous attraction of Batticaloa is the 'Singing Fish'. On a full moon night, between April and September, there is a faint but distinct musical sound (described as the type of noise produced by rubbing a moistened finger around the rim of a wine glass) rises from the lagoon water, this sound is attributed to a noise emanated by one kind of fish found in the lagoon.
South Coast
The southern coast is the most popular among tourists and comes to life mainly from October through April when the monsoon moves northeast and the sea becomes calmer with blue sky. It is an ideal place to go on a vacation. The main beach resorts are at Beruwela, Bentota and Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna.
Beruwela
An hour drive from Colombo along the southwest coast will take you to Beruwela marked for the beginning of the 130 km stretch southwest coast beach resort. Beruwela is in Kalutara district 56 km to the south of Colombo that is considered to be the first Muslim settlement in the island established by the Arab traders of the 8th century. There is also a famous Muslim mosque at the beachhead.
Bentota
Situated in Galle, a district that is 62 km southwards of Colombo or 4 km southward of Beruwela, the Bentota Resort Complex is a romantic rendezvous of river and sea with several hotels, railway station, post office, shopping arcade, cafeteria and an open air theatre showing folk and mask dancing with clusters of palms overlooking everything. There is also an abundance of water based recreational activities in the area.
Ambalangoda
The beautiful coast of Ambalangoda is a half an hour drive from Bentota or 86 km from Colombo. It is a fair-sized town that has a beautiful sweep sandy beach to its north. It is also home of devil dancing and mask making. Colorful masks worn during traditional dance are carved out of soft wood and brightly painted. Other products such as batiks and hand-woven cottons are also found here.
Hikkaduwa
Located in Galle district 98 km south of Colombo, Hikkaduwa has long been Sri Lanka's most popular beach spot. It is the place for underwater delight where there is a marine sanctuary, abundant with rare corals and tropical fish. The underwater world of colorful corals and beautiful shoals of fish can be explored either by snorkeling or taking a ride in a glass bottom boat. Hikkaduwa is a fun and busy town, there are numerous and varied restaurants, bars, clubs and cafés. Hikkaduwa has it all to offer: coral for snorkellers, waves for board and body surfers and good wide strips of sand if you want to just sit back and relax. During May to October of monsoon season, many places close and water can be quite rough.
Galle
Considered as the southern capital (116 km from Colombo), Sri Lanka's fourth biggest town, Galle is the most historically interesting living city. Its modern towns were gradually built separately from the ancient one. It was the seaport of Sri Lanka before the Colombo Port was developed in the late 19 century and it still handles shipping and cruising yachts today. Its main attraction is the Fort called 'Santa Cruz' that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1619 and subsequently expanded and developed by the Dutch and the British the one time colonial masters of the island. What now remains is mostly the work of the Dutch and the British.
Weligama
Weligama - means 'Sandy Village' - is situated in Matara district, 143 km from Colombo or 27 km from Galle with its sandy sweep bay. It is indeed a very fishing town with less travelers visit. Very close to the shore there is an off shore islet known as Taprobane where a dream house of French Count de Maunay was built on, Weligama is where you will see the famous stilt fishermen.
Unawatuna
Unawatuna is 4 km southeast of Galle or 120 km from Colombo, and is a beautiful wide curving golden beach in the south that is popular and safe for bathing by which there is a reef protecting it. It is popular for travelers because at this beach there is no annoying road right to the beach unlike some other places such as Hikkaduwa. However, during public holiday, the beach can get very crowded.
Going further south, 189 km. from Colombo, is a blowhole, Kudawella, rare geological formation on the rocky beach throwing huge columns of water high up into the air with a loud noise like a natural spout. This noise has given the village its name Hoommane. Huge ocean waves breaking on the rocks are thrown up through an opening in the rock causing this wonderful sight that should not be missed by anyone going along the southern coastal road.
Mirissa
Situated on the Matara road 4 km southeast of Weligama, Mirissa marks for one of the country's most beautiful beach. Its headland separates its small fishing harbor from its beautiful curve of sandy beach with calm, clear waters. Mirissa is the alternative for quieter place to Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa.
Tangalla
Situated 195 km from Colombo, Tangalla is one of the nicest spots along the cost, particularly if you want somewhere to find a place to laze and soak up the sun. Tangalla's series of bays are the modern attraction, white sandy beach of Medaketiya shimmer away from the northeast to smaller bays on the west. However, some of the beaches in these bays shelve off very steeply and the resulting waves make them dangerous for swimmers. The town pretty much reminds of the Dutch period, for example, the Rest House was once home of the Dutch administrators.
(http://www.sri-lanka-tour.com/attraction/index.html)
North Coast
Jaffna
Situated in the north 398 km away from Colombo, Jaffna has an austere kind of beauty that is vastly different from the rest of the island. A vacation on its virgin beaches, coralline coast, off shore islets, and in the peninsula that is expressing a very distinctive way of life can be an enigmatic experience for a traveler. Not to be missed are the sand dunes of Manalkadu - a miniscule desert whose sheer wildness - that impresses most visitors. Casuarina Beach is situated at Karainagar and there are good beaches as well at Santhakulam and Thondaimannar.
Mannar Island
The Island is probably the driest, most barren area in Sri Lanka. The landscape features many baobab trees, probably introduced from Africa by Arab traders centuries ago. Mannar, the major town on the island, is at the southern end, joined the mainland by a 3 km causeway. It's not interesting apart from its picturesque Portuguese/Dutch fort. Talaimannar, near the western end, is about 3 km from the pier that was the arrival and departure point of the ferry for India that operated until 1984. A little farther west, an abandoned lighthouse at South Point marks the start of Adam's Bridge, the chain of reefs, sandbanks and islets that almost connects Sri Lanka to India. In the Ramayana, this is the series of stepping stones that Hanuman used to follow Rawana, the demon king of Lanka, in his bid to rescue Sita.
West Coast
The West Coast broadly stretches from Mt. Lavinia, a southern suburb of Colombo to Mannar Island in the lower northwest. Mt. Lavinia and Negombo are considered the best developed beach resorts in this region. Isolated hotels have sprung up in most places along the western coastal stretch.
Negombo
The major beach resort in the West Coast is Negombo which is a characteristic fishing town in Gampaha district, 37 km north of Colombo, merely 6 km from the International Airport. The wide sandy beaches and its safe sea attract thousands of visitors to Negombo. Set amid lush groves of coconut palms, it breathes the spirit of the sea. Negombo is also a gourmet's paradise with seafood in plenty. The fish market where there are busy trading of a variety of fish, prawns, crabs and seer that take place lively in the mornings, when the fishing crafts return to the shore with their catch, is a worth visiting place. The most popular fishing craft is the outrigger canoe called 'oruwa' dug out from a huge log which is seen in large numbers in the Negombo lagoon.
Mount Lavinia
Situated in the South Colombo 12 km away from the city, Mount Lavinia is a suburb of always well known beach since the colonial time. The sea is a safe and popular bathing spot. Its clean sandy beaches, lies alongside a wind swept headland, are jutting into the waters of the Indian Ocean with softest sand and the calm and clear water. The name Lavinia reminds of a secret love affair between a British Governor and a local damsel who used to meet at the holiday house of the Governor, built in 1805 by Sir Thomas Maitland, which now became part of the famous Mount Lavinia Hotel.
East Coast
From April to October, the East Coast comes to life. It is one of the best stretches of beach in Sri Lanka. The Eastern beaches stretch for over 300 kilometers along which tourist resorts are developed.
Trincomalee
Situated 257 km from Colombo, this city is the ideal refuge for the beach addicts. It comprises a fine natural harbor and excellent beaches. Horatio Nelson - the British admiral of the 18th century - had, on arriving at the Trincomalee harbor, described it as the finest harbor in the world. This beautiful harbor was in use since the days of the early Sinhala kings. At the site there is an old Portuguese/Dutch Fort which has an inscription above its entrance, made by Dutch in 1676, is reminiscent of the colonial rule. It was subsequently named 'Ford Frederick' by the British.
Nilaveli
Located in Trincomalee district, 271 from Colombo or 14 km from Trincomalee, Nilaveli is a prime beach resort in the east coast. It is ideally suited for sun bathing, swimming and diving. Also, at few meters off shore, there is a small rocky island that is good for snorkeling. All water sports are available here including fishing and sea angling and whale watching in the sanctuary. In 1985, Nilaveli was the venue for the 1985 International Funboard Championships.
Arugam Bay
Further east, 314 km from Colombo, in Ampara district is a most beautiful bay good for surfing. Arugam Bay is a fishing village with a wide, sweeping beach in front of the village itself that has a low promontory and is good for swimming. The East coast offers unlimited possibility for many kinds of water sports and underwater photography. The many ship-wrecks of the coast are a tempting challenge to many divers.
Kalkudah & Passekudah
A 2 km-long Kalkudah Bay, 32 km north of Batticaloa, is one of fine beaches in the east coast that is well protected from the monsoon by the off shore reef. Passekudah Bay is another wide beach with the length of 4 km located to the south of Kalkudah and is a lovely bay with clear water. The combined area of Passekudah and Kalkudah was declared as a National Holiday Resort in 1973. This is an ideal site for bathing, windsurfing and water skiing and is a well frequented tourist center with a modern hotel and related facilities.
Batticaloa
The city is like most other coastal townships that were under Portuguese and Dutch rule. A Dutch Fort stands close to the Batticaloa lagoon. The most famous attraction of Batticaloa is the 'Singing Fish'. On a full moon night, between April and September, there is a faint but distinct musical sound (described as the type of noise produced by rubbing a moistened finger around the rim of a wine glass) rises from the lagoon water, this sound is attributed to a noise emanated by one kind of fish found in the lagoon.
South Coast
The southern coast is the most popular among tourists and comes to life mainly from October through April when the monsoon moves northeast and the sea becomes calmer with blue sky. It is an ideal place to go on a vacation. The main beach resorts are at Beruwela, Bentota and Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna.
Beruwela
An hour drive from Colombo along the southwest coast will take you to Beruwela marked for the beginning of the 130 km stretch southwest coast beach resort. Beruwela is in Kalutara district 56 km to the south of Colombo that is considered to be the first Muslim settlement in the island established by the Arab traders of the 8th century. There is also a famous Muslim mosque at the beachhead.
Bentota
Situated in Galle, a district that is 62 km southwards of Colombo or 4 km southward of Beruwela, the Bentota Resort Complex is a romantic rendezvous of river and sea with several hotels, railway station, post office, shopping arcade, cafeteria and an open air theatre showing folk and mask dancing with clusters of palms overlooking everything. There is also an abundance of water based recreational activities in the area.
Ambalangoda
The beautiful coast of Ambalangoda is a half an hour drive from Bentota or 86 km from Colombo. It is a fair-sized town that has a beautiful sweep sandy beach to its north. It is also home of devil dancing and mask making. Colorful masks worn during traditional dance are carved out of soft wood and brightly painted. Other products such as batiks and hand-woven cottons are also found here.
Hikkaduwa
Located in Galle district 98 km south of Colombo, Hikkaduwa has long been Sri Lanka's most popular beach spot. It is the place for underwater delight where there is a marine sanctuary, abundant with rare corals and tropical fish. The underwater world of colorful corals and beautiful shoals of fish can be explored either by snorkeling or taking a ride in a glass bottom boat. Hikkaduwa is a fun and busy town, there are numerous and varied restaurants, bars, clubs and cafés. Hikkaduwa has it all to offer: coral for snorkellers, waves for board and body surfers and good wide strips of sand if you want to just sit back and relax. During May to October of monsoon season, many places close and water can be quite rough.
Galle
Considered as the southern capital (116 km from Colombo), Sri Lanka's fourth biggest town, Galle is the most historically interesting living city. Its modern towns were gradually built separately from the ancient one. It was the seaport of Sri Lanka before the Colombo Port was developed in the late 19 century and it still handles shipping and cruising yachts today. Its main attraction is the Fort called 'Santa Cruz' that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1619 and subsequently expanded and developed by the Dutch and the British the one time colonial masters of the island. What now remains is mostly the work of the Dutch and the British.
Weligama
Weligama - means 'Sandy Village' - is situated in Matara district, 143 km from Colombo or 27 km from Galle with its sandy sweep bay. It is indeed a very fishing town with less travelers visit. Very close to the shore there is an off shore islet known as Taprobane where a dream house of French Count de Maunay was built on, Weligama is where you will see the famous stilt fishermen.
Unawatuna
Unawatuna is 4 km southeast of Galle or 120 km from Colombo, and is a beautiful wide curving golden beach in the south that is popular and safe for bathing by which there is a reef protecting it. It is popular for travelers because at this beach there is no annoying road right to the beach unlike some other places such as Hikkaduwa. However, during public holiday, the beach can get very crowded.
Going further south, 189 km. from Colombo, is a blowhole, Kudawella, rare geological formation on the rocky beach throwing huge columns of water high up into the air with a loud noise like a natural spout. This noise has given the village its name Hoommane. Huge ocean waves breaking on the rocks are thrown up through an opening in the rock causing this wonderful sight that should not be missed by anyone going along the southern coastal road.
Mirissa
Situated on the Matara road 4 km southeast of Weligama, Mirissa marks for one of the country's most beautiful beach. Its headland separates its small fishing harbor from its beautiful curve of sandy beach with calm, clear waters. Mirissa is the alternative for quieter place to Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa.
Tangalla
Situated 195 km from Colombo, Tangalla is one of the nicest spots along the cost, particularly if you want somewhere to find a place to laze and soak up the sun. Tangalla's series of bays are the modern attraction, white sandy beach of Medaketiya shimmer away from the northeast to smaller bays on the west. However, some of the beaches in these bays shelve off very steeply and the resulting waves make them dangerous for swimmers. The town pretty much reminds of the Dutch period, for example, the Rest House was once home of the Dutch administrators.
(http://www.sri-lanka-tour.com/attraction/index.html)
North West & West Coast Dives
Silavatturai
A remote place, this was this site where those involved in the ancient Pearl Fishery encamped (the fishery of the colonial period was held at Marichchukadi further south). A few miles offshore are the famed Pearl Banks, which are well worth a dive if you can find a local diver to accompany you.
Kalpitiya
October or February is a good time to organize a boat from Kalpitiya to take you from the lagoon into the open sea to the beautiful Bar Reef, where the coral formations are like those found in the Maldives. Off the fishing village of Kandakuliya north of Kalpitiya are two other noteworthy reefs. Southwards there are little known sandstone reefs, a plane wreck off Katuneriya, and several small ships.
Negombo
Between November and March there is good diving to be had at Negombo, although clear water cannot be expected every day of this period. This is because strong currents and the presence of the nearby lagoon rich in silt sometime cause turbidity. As a consequence, however, some of the best seafood can be caught off Negombo, such as barracuda, queenfish and caranx. Lobsters can be caught at night using simply a good flashlight and a sturdy pair of gloves.
Kapungoda
Hire a boat from Negombo and travel south to Kapungoda, where there are two shipwrecks in shallow water. These wrecks, which are best viewed between November and March, are home to an extraordinary variety of fish, as well as large crabs and lobsters.
Colombo
There was a time when Colombo was the only dive site in the island, but back then it was a smaller city with a less polluted sea. Good diving is now to be had only out far out at sea, where the strong currents bring in clear water. However, there is a reef off South Colombo where schools of queenfish, caranx, barracuda and mackerel congregate. There is another reef further offshore where harmless grey sharks sometimes turn up. November to March are the best months.
Mount Lavinia
On calm days during the November to March west coast season a dive off Mount Lavinia Beach can be a rewarding experience as there are usually a variety of exotic fishes to be found.
Akurala
A headland with a fringing coral reef and sea breakers near Akurala offers splendid rock and reef diving two and an abundance of fishes. Moreover, there are two shipwrecks to explore, the Earl of Shaftesbury, which sank in 1893, and the nearby Conch, which sank in 1903.
Hikkaduwa
Although Hikkaduwa is the dive centre on this coast, the reason for it being so - the wonderful reef with its amazing fishes - has long since been devastated by environmental degradation and the sheer number of visitors, both above and below the surface. Consequently, it is better to use Hikkaduwa as a base and dive further south at Dodanduwa and the reefs off Gintota and Ralagala. In early 1956 the Greek freighter Aenos, carrying 6,000 tons of manganese, struck Ralagala and sank. The first divers to visit the partly submerged ship were Arthur. C. Clarke and Mike Wilson.
A remote place, this was this site where those involved in the ancient Pearl Fishery encamped (the fishery of the colonial period was held at Marichchukadi further south). A few miles offshore are the famed Pearl Banks, which are well worth a dive if you can find a local diver to accompany you.
Kalpitiya
October or February is a good time to organize a boat from Kalpitiya to take you from the lagoon into the open sea to the beautiful Bar Reef, where the coral formations are like those found in the Maldives. Off the fishing village of Kandakuliya north of Kalpitiya are two other noteworthy reefs. Southwards there are little known sandstone reefs, a plane wreck off Katuneriya, and several small ships.
Negombo
Between November and March there is good diving to be had at Negombo, although clear water cannot be expected every day of this period. This is because strong currents and the presence of the nearby lagoon rich in silt sometime cause turbidity. As a consequence, however, some of the best seafood can be caught off Negombo, such as barracuda, queenfish and caranx. Lobsters can be caught at night using simply a good flashlight and a sturdy pair of gloves.
Kapungoda
Hire a boat from Negombo and travel south to Kapungoda, where there are two shipwrecks in shallow water. These wrecks, which are best viewed between November and March, are home to an extraordinary variety of fish, as well as large crabs and lobsters.
Colombo
There was a time when Colombo was the only dive site in the island, but back then it was a smaller city with a less polluted sea. Good diving is now to be had only out far out at sea, where the strong currents bring in clear water. However, there is a reef off South Colombo where schools of queenfish, caranx, barracuda and mackerel congregate. There is another reef further offshore where harmless grey sharks sometimes turn up. November to March are the best months.
Mount Lavinia
On calm days during the November to March west coast season a dive off Mount Lavinia Beach can be a rewarding experience as there are usually a variety of exotic fishes to be found.
Akurala
A headland with a fringing coral reef and sea breakers near Akurala offers splendid rock and reef diving two and an abundance of fishes. Moreover, there are two shipwrecks to explore, the Earl of Shaftesbury, which sank in 1893, and the nearby Conch, which sank in 1903.
Hikkaduwa
Although Hikkaduwa is the dive centre on this coast, the reason for it being so - the wonderful reef with its amazing fishes - has long since been devastated by environmental degradation and the sheer number of visitors, both above and below the surface. Consequently, it is better to use Hikkaduwa as a base and dive further south at Dodanduwa and the reefs off Gintota and Ralagala. In early 1956 the Greek freighter Aenos, carrying 6,000 tons of manganese, struck Ralagala and sank. The first divers to visit the partly submerged ship were Arthur. C. Clarke and Mike Wilson.
South Coast Dives
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.
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.
East Coast Dives
Tirrukovil - Batticaloa
At Tirrukovil you can go out to a wreck straddling the reef. In fact all the reefs from here to Batticaloa make for good diving, but it is hard to reach them due to the lack of boats. Batticaloa, however, has boats for hire, which will take you through the mouth of the lagoon to some magnificent reefs and wrecks. April is by far the best month for east coast dives.
Passekudah
Dive spots off Passekudah include the wrecks around the bay, the coral islands to the north and, five miles offshore, the wreck of the British aircraft carrier H.M.S. Hermes, which was sunk by the Japanese in April 1942 with the loss of 302 lives. This dive is only for very experienced divers. The Hermes was built in 1918 and had a maximum displacement of 13, 200 tons. She was 600 feet long, had a beam of 71 feet, and could accommodate 12 aircraft.
The last chapter of the Hermes began on the afternoon of April 8, 1942, when a Japanese fleet was sighted approaching the east coast of the then British colony of Ceylon. The British, fearing a Pearl Harbour-style attack as had happened a week earlier at Colombo, ordered the dispersal of the ships anchored in the extensive Trincomalee harbour. Largest of the ships to seek to get clear of any potential trouble in the open seas was the Hermes. However, all her planes were left behind at the China Bay airfield at Trincomalee, so making her very vulnerable to airborne attack.
Sure enough the Japanese hit Trincomalee from the air on April 9. The Hermes steamed southwards about a 100 miles, but was spotted by a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. Realizing he would be attacked, the captain of the ship turned back for Trincomalee, moving shorewards and radioing for air cover, which never arrived. The Japanese fleet was not far away and a second wave of fifty-five dive-bombers sent to raid Trincomalee came across the Hermes. The Japanese pilots were amazed to find her entirely unprotected from the air.
“We were altering helm every few minutes, twisting and turning to deflect the aim of the pilots,” recalls Lieutenant Dennis Brimble, Second Gunnery Officer in the Hermes, “but an aircraft carrier is no destroyer, which is better adapted for this sort of thing. At full speed we could only squeeze out 23 knots. The 4-inch gun on the flight deck aft of the funnel opened up as soon as the first aircraft came into range and, as it dived lower, the Oerlikons too commenced chattering. They seemed to have no effect at all.
“Suddenly the group called off the attack and disappeared towards the distant shore. Hermes continued at full speed towards the same shoreline with the object of reaching shallow water, where the submarines we thought might be in the vicinity would have less opportunity of attacking. During this short lull we took stock. The two Oerlikon gunners had been killed. The two 4-inch guns on the flight deck had been put out of operation, their crews all being dead or wounded.
“Suddenly at a great height appeared flight after flight of planes, estimated to number about seventy, and wishful thinkers thanked God for the RAF. But we were quickly disillusioned. They used the same tactics as the previous group, coming in one after another in a constant stream, so that as one stick of bombs exploded, the next was already in the air from the following plane. The forward lift rose into the air to a height of approximately twenty feet, snapped its hydraulic stem, dropped half back onto the flight deck and half down the lift well, wiping out all those in the hangar who had been blown forward by blast.
“The sinking ship, riddled with bombs, on fire from end to end, still drove on towards the shoreline, some eight miles away. The flight deck, at a steep angle to port, spewed survivors into the water.”
At a point some five miles from the coast the Hermes finally plunged beneath the waves and came to rest in 30 fathoms of water. There she stayed, a memorial to all those who perished with her, until the early 1960s, when Mike Wilson and a number of famous international divers such as Peter Grimbel, Stan Waterman, and Ron and Valerie Taylor, explored this remarkable wreck.
Trincomalee
Until recently Trincomalee could not be considered as a dive site because it was one of the major theatres of the civil war, being the location of a vital Sri Lanka naval base. With the coming of peace, however, Trincomalee may once again become an important dive site, although with the navy presence there it does not have the relaxed atmosphere of other places in the island. Provided there are no security restrictions Trincomalee is one vast diving resort, encompassing lots of bays, rocky islands and coral reefs.
In 1962 in the sea at the foot of Swami Rock an important marine archaeological discovery was made when Mike Wilson came across the sacred lingam of the nearby Tirukonesvaram temple when making the film Ranmuthu Duwa. The lingam, which had been thrown into the sea when the Portuguese sacked the temple, was recovered from the sea bed and reinstated. There are many columns and pieces of stonework of the old temple that can still be seen on the sea bed. In addition, there are the remains of a Portuguese galleon of Elephant Island. Trincomalee is good for diving between mid-March and September, except for a spell in June and July.
At Tirrukovil you can go out to a wreck straddling the reef. In fact all the reefs from here to Batticaloa make for good diving, but it is hard to reach them due to the lack of boats. Batticaloa, however, has boats for hire, which will take you through the mouth of the lagoon to some magnificent reefs and wrecks. April is by far the best month for east coast dives.
Passekudah
Dive spots off Passekudah include the wrecks around the bay, the coral islands to the north and, five miles offshore, the wreck of the British aircraft carrier H.M.S. Hermes, which was sunk by the Japanese in April 1942 with the loss of 302 lives. This dive is only for very experienced divers. The Hermes was built in 1918 and had a maximum displacement of 13, 200 tons. She was 600 feet long, had a beam of 71 feet, and could accommodate 12 aircraft.
The last chapter of the Hermes began on the afternoon of April 8, 1942, when a Japanese fleet was sighted approaching the east coast of the then British colony of Ceylon. The British, fearing a Pearl Harbour-style attack as had happened a week earlier at Colombo, ordered the dispersal of the ships anchored in the extensive Trincomalee harbour. Largest of the ships to seek to get clear of any potential trouble in the open seas was the Hermes. However, all her planes were left behind at the China Bay airfield at Trincomalee, so making her very vulnerable to airborne attack.
Sure enough the Japanese hit Trincomalee from the air on April 9. The Hermes steamed southwards about a 100 miles, but was spotted by a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. Realizing he would be attacked, the captain of the ship turned back for Trincomalee, moving shorewards and radioing for air cover, which never arrived. The Japanese fleet was not far away and a second wave of fifty-five dive-bombers sent to raid Trincomalee came across the Hermes. The Japanese pilots were amazed to find her entirely unprotected from the air.
“We were altering helm every few minutes, twisting and turning to deflect the aim of the pilots,” recalls Lieutenant Dennis Brimble, Second Gunnery Officer in the Hermes, “but an aircraft carrier is no destroyer, which is better adapted for this sort of thing. At full speed we could only squeeze out 23 knots. The 4-inch gun on the flight deck aft of the funnel opened up as soon as the first aircraft came into range and, as it dived lower, the Oerlikons too commenced chattering. They seemed to have no effect at all.
“Suddenly the group called off the attack and disappeared towards the distant shore. Hermes continued at full speed towards the same shoreline with the object of reaching shallow water, where the submarines we thought might be in the vicinity would have less opportunity of attacking. During this short lull we took stock. The two Oerlikon gunners had been killed. The two 4-inch guns on the flight deck had been put out of operation, their crews all being dead or wounded.
“Suddenly at a great height appeared flight after flight of planes, estimated to number about seventy, and wishful thinkers thanked God for the RAF. But we were quickly disillusioned. They used the same tactics as the previous group, coming in one after another in a constant stream, so that as one stick of bombs exploded, the next was already in the air from the following plane. The forward lift rose into the air to a height of approximately twenty feet, snapped its hydraulic stem, dropped half back onto the flight deck and half down the lift well, wiping out all those in the hangar who had been blown forward by blast.
“The sinking ship, riddled with bombs, on fire from end to end, still drove on towards the shoreline, some eight miles away. The flight deck, at a steep angle to port, spewed survivors into the water.”
At a point some five miles from the coast the Hermes finally plunged beneath the waves and came to rest in 30 fathoms of water. There she stayed, a memorial to all those who perished with her, until the early 1960s, when Mike Wilson and a number of famous international divers such as Peter Grimbel, Stan Waterman, and Ron and Valerie Taylor, explored this remarkable wreck.
Trincomalee
Until recently Trincomalee could not be considered as a dive site because it was one of the major theatres of the civil war, being the location of a vital Sri Lanka naval base. With the coming of peace, however, Trincomalee may once again become an important dive site, although with the navy presence there it does not have the relaxed atmosphere of other places in the island. Provided there are no security restrictions Trincomalee is one vast diving resort, encompassing lots of bays, rocky islands and coral reefs.
In 1962 in the sea at the foot of Swami Rock an important marine archaeological discovery was made when Mike Wilson came across the sacred lingam of the nearby Tirukonesvaram temple when making the film Ranmuthu Duwa. The lingam, which had been thrown into the sea when the Portuguese sacked the temple, was recovered from the sea bed and reinstated. There are many columns and pieces of stonework of the old temple that can still be seen on the sea bed. In addition, there are the remains of a Portuguese galleon of Elephant Island. Trincomalee is good for diving between mid-March and September, except for a spell in June and July.
Diving Locations In Sri Lanka
Diving in the seas around Sri Lanka has been going on for much longer than in most other places. It all began several thousand years ago when South Indian kings developed the Pearl Fishery of the Gulf of the Mannar, employing mostly Arab divers to descend to the pearl banks to collect the oysters. This continued until the early part of the 20th century, when the Pearl Fishery was finally abandoned. True, Sri Lankans did not take part in the diving activities, and even after the advent of the aqualung they hardly rushed to the sea - with the exception of one Rodney Jonklaas - but let Europeans such as Arthur C. Clarke and Mike Wilson be the first to explore their underwater world in detail. However, since the 1970s Sri Lankan divers have certainly come to prominence.
What kind of underwater world have the islanders inherited, and what are the attractions for the visiting diver? Being a tropical island surrounded by tropical waters, Sri Lanka has diverse underwater life. Apart from the many exotic fish species, it is sometimes possible to see the range of marine mammals - whales, dolphins, porpoises and dugongs (the latter only in restricted numbers on the northwest coast). Indeed a major documentary film on the subject of whales, Whales Weep Not, was filmed off Trincomalee two decades ago.
There are coral reefs encircling much of the island, although they have suffered as reefs elsewhere from a number of adverse environmental factors. Being conveniently placed on many trade routes, Sri Lanka has attracted mariners since the dawn of navigation, and Galle and later Colombo became major destinations on the passenger routes to the east. As a result of all this sea traffic, Sri Lanka has its fair share of shipwrecks. Surprisingly, however, the inevitable treasures which stricken ships have taken to the bottom of the ocean around the island have rarely been found. One exception was the discovery by Mike Wilson in 1961 of chests full of silver coins from an unidentified wreck on the Great Basses Reef. This is described in detail in Arthur C. Clarke’s Treasure of the Great Reef (1964).
Although the blue waters of the surrounding Indian Ocean are Sri Lanka’s premier diving attraction, there are other brackish and freshwater possibilities as well. There are tidal lagoons with thick stands of mangroves and rocks covered with oysters. In addition there are rivers and rock pools (especially at the foot of waterfalls) that can be explored with just a face mask. Rodney Jonklaas used to talk of one at Attweltota, “a lovely jungle rock pool with clear green waters, sunken long rocks, aquatic plants and lovely little tropical freshwater fishes.”
There are some who come away from a diving holiday in Sri Lanka disappointed, mostly because they have encountered poor visibility. It is important to know the best times of year to visit the different dive spots around the island as water clarity changes not only according to monsoon seasons but also more localized factors such the presence of estuaries and currents. A rewarding diving expedition to Sri Lanka can be had, but it requires careful planning and impeccable timing.
What kind of underwater world have the islanders inherited, and what are the attractions for the visiting diver? Being a tropical island surrounded by tropical waters, Sri Lanka has diverse underwater life. Apart from the many exotic fish species, it is sometimes possible to see the range of marine mammals - whales, dolphins, porpoises and dugongs (the latter only in restricted numbers on the northwest coast). Indeed a major documentary film on the subject of whales, Whales Weep Not, was filmed off Trincomalee two decades ago.
There are coral reefs encircling much of the island, although they have suffered as reefs elsewhere from a number of adverse environmental factors. Being conveniently placed on many trade routes, Sri Lanka has attracted mariners since the dawn of navigation, and Galle and later Colombo became major destinations on the passenger routes to the east. As a result of all this sea traffic, Sri Lanka has its fair share of shipwrecks. Surprisingly, however, the inevitable treasures which stricken ships have taken to the bottom of the ocean around the island have rarely been found. One exception was the discovery by Mike Wilson in 1961 of chests full of silver coins from an unidentified wreck on the Great Basses Reef. This is described in detail in Arthur C. Clarke’s Treasure of the Great Reef (1964).
Although the blue waters of the surrounding Indian Ocean are Sri Lanka’s premier diving attraction, there are other brackish and freshwater possibilities as well. There are tidal lagoons with thick stands of mangroves and rocks covered with oysters. In addition there are rivers and rock pools (especially at the foot of waterfalls) that can be explored with just a face mask. Rodney Jonklaas used to talk of one at Attweltota, “a lovely jungle rock pool with clear green waters, sunken long rocks, aquatic plants and lovely little tropical freshwater fishes.”
There are some who come away from a diving holiday in Sri Lanka disappointed, mostly because they have encountered poor visibility. It is important to know the best times of year to visit the different dive spots around the island as water clarity changes not only according to monsoon seasons but also more localized factors such the presence of estuaries and currents. A rewarding diving expedition to Sri Lanka can be had, but it requires careful planning and impeccable timing.
Untouched Treasures in Watery Graves by ASIFF HUSSEIN (Sunday Observer, 9 December 2001)
A programme is now under way to salvage shipwrecks and bring to surface the country's buried heritage
Little is it known that a good part of the country's heritage lies under the sea, lost and forgotten. Shipwrecks with untold treasures, priceless ceramics and an assortment of coins from various maritime nations lie untouched in their watery grave off the ancient ports of call such as Galle,
Mantai and Trincomalee. The most studied of these ports, Galle harbour is known to have as many as 26 maritime archaeological sites, some of which are in danger of being lost to posterity if action is not taken soon to recover them. A joint Sri Lankan-Dutch exercise known as the Mutual Heritage Programme is presently under way to salvage many of these lost treasures and bring them up for conservation in the recently established National Maritime Museum in Galle.
VOC shipwrecks
A number of VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, formed in 1602) shipwrecks are reported to taken place in Galle harbour, among them the Avondster, Hercules, Geinwens, Barbersteijn and Dolfijn. Work on the Avondster has already commenced and it will not be long before the rest of the wrecks come up for excavation.
Although Galle had become a major entrepot for international trade from about the 12th century, the entrance to the bay posed some threat to incoming and outgoing vessels in the olden days due to its many submerged reefs and rocks. A careful study of the Dutch records in the National Archives at Colombo and the VOC records in the Algemeen Rijksarchief in the Netherlands had revealed that of the VOC ships known to have sunk in or near the harbour, three were wrecked during the vessel's arrival or departure while two were sunk within the harbour, one by an explosion and the other after coming adrift from her anchor. For instance, the Hercules was wrecked in 1661 on the rocks near Closenberg on the north side of the bay as she departed from Galle with a cargo for Batavia. The Barbersteijn was wrecked in 1725 while sailing into the harbour while the Geinwens was wrecked in 1776 while sailing out of the harbour. These shipwrecks were detected in a survey carried out in 1996-97.
Underwater excavations
A joint Sri Lankan-Dutch team headed by Robert Parthesius is presently conducting investigations at the Avondster site and will shortly commence excavating the 34-metre jacht layer by layer. Among the items already recovered from the wreck are various jars, medicine bottles, part of a cannon axle and a human skull found below the main deck. Excavations underwater involved exposing the artifact by pumping out the sediment and depositing it elsewhere. The ship which is slanted on to a side on the seabed appears to have two decks while the masts seem to have broken off and been deposited elsewhere. The whole purpose of investigating the ship was to build a total picture so that a decision could be taken on how to bring it up. This could be done by removing the ship timber by timber and reconstructing it for display in Galle itself.
The historical research had revealed that the Avondster, Dutch for 'Evening Star' had been wrecked in a rather clumsy manner on the 23rd of June 1659. She had been anchored near the Black Fort after loading cargo for a trip to Negapatnam in India, but despite fine weather, slipped her anchor during the night and hit the coast north-east of the anchorage. The ship broke in two and was submerged in the soft sand below. An eye-witness account found in the Dutch records in Colombo tells how a sailor on deck discovered the vessel drifting and hastened to wake the skipper. The skipper was slow in making his appearance and by the time he ordered the warp anchor to be thrown out the ship had struck the coast and run aground.
Oldest finds
However, it is not only the VOC shipwrecks that have captured the attention of the excavation team. Other items too have been discovered, among them Indo-Arab stone anchors weighing 820 kg each found in the area of the Kamba Bandina Gala, a traditional mooring site for vessels lightering cargo to and from vessels to Galle. The wooden components of these have been carbon-dated to 1390-1640 which would make it older than any other artefact discovered in Galle to date.
The project will create a core of maritime archaeologists in Sri Lanka once the work on the Avondster is over. Seven Sri Lankan archaeologists have already been trained in this specialized field and have gained sufficient expertise in diving, retrieving artefacts and taking underwater photography. A group of ten conservators have gained experience in conserving the artefacts so retrieved while a few museum curators are also expected to be trained in the field of maritime archaeology shortly. The team's long-term plan is the establishment of an underwater archaeology unit which will be able to undertake excavations underwater not only on shipwrecks, but also on other artefacts in our rivers and reservoirs.
by R.K. de Silva and W.G.M. Beumer, Serendib Publication, London, 1988.
Little is it known that a good part of the country's heritage lies under the sea, lost and forgotten. Shipwrecks with untold treasures, priceless ceramics and an assortment of coins from various maritime nations lie untouched in their watery grave off the ancient ports of call such as Galle,
Mantai and Trincomalee. The most studied of these ports, Galle harbour is known to have as many as 26 maritime archaeological sites, some of which are in danger of being lost to posterity if action is not taken soon to recover them. A joint Sri Lankan-Dutch exercise known as the Mutual Heritage Programme is presently under way to salvage many of these lost treasures and bring them up for conservation in the recently established National Maritime Museum in Galle.
VOC shipwrecks
A number of VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, formed in 1602) shipwrecks are reported to taken place in Galle harbour, among them the Avondster, Hercules, Geinwens, Barbersteijn and Dolfijn. Work on the Avondster has already commenced and it will not be long before the rest of the wrecks come up for excavation.
Although Galle had become a major entrepot for international trade from about the 12th century, the entrance to the bay posed some threat to incoming and outgoing vessels in the olden days due to its many submerged reefs and rocks. A careful study of the Dutch records in the National Archives at Colombo and the VOC records in the Algemeen Rijksarchief in the Netherlands had revealed that of the VOC ships known to have sunk in or near the harbour, three were wrecked during the vessel's arrival or departure while two were sunk within the harbour, one by an explosion and the other after coming adrift from her anchor. For instance, the Hercules was wrecked in 1661 on the rocks near Closenberg on the north side of the bay as she departed from Galle with a cargo for Batavia. The Barbersteijn was wrecked in 1725 while sailing into the harbour while the Geinwens was wrecked in 1776 while sailing out of the harbour. These shipwrecks were detected in a survey carried out in 1996-97.
Underwater excavations
A joint Sri Lankan-Dutch team headed by Robert Parthesius is presently conducting investigations at the Avondster site and will shortly commence excavating the 34-metre jacht layer by layer. Among the items already recovered from the wreck are various jars, medicine bottles, part of a cannon axle and a human skull found below the main deck. Excavations underwater involved exposing the artifact by pumping out the sediment and depositing it elsewhere. The ship which is slanted on to a side on the seabed appears to have two decks while the masts seem to have broken off and been deposited elsewhere. The whole purpose of investigating the ship was to build a total picture so that a decision could be taken on how to bring it up. This could be done by removing the ship timber by timber and reconstructing it for display in Galle itself.
The historical research had revealed that the Avondster, Dutch for 'Evening Star' had been wrecked in a rather clumsy manner on the 23rd of June 1659. She had been anchored near the Black Fort after loading cargo for a trip to Negapatnam in India, but despite fine weather, slipped her anchor during the night and hit the coast north-east of the anchorage. The ship broke in two and was submerged in the soft sand below. An eye-witness account found in the Dutch records in Colombo tells how a sailor on deck discovered the vessel drifting and hastened to wake the skipper. The skipper was slow in making his appearance and by the time he ordered the warp anchor to be thrown out the ship had struck the coast and run aground.
Oldest finds
However, it is not only the VOC shipwrecks that have captured the attention of the excavation team. Other items too have been discovered, among them Indo-Arab stone anchors weighing 820 kg each found in the area of the Kamba Bandina Gala, a traditional mooring site for vessels lightering cargo to and from vessels to Galle. The wooden components of these have been carbon-dated to 1390-1640 which would make it older than any other artefact discovered in Galle to date.
The project will create a core of maritime archaeologists in Sri Lanka once the work on the Avondster is over. Seven Sri Lankan archaeologists have already been trained in this specialized field and have gained sufficient expertise in diving, retrieving artefacts and taking underwater photography. A group of ten conservators have gained experience in conserving the artefacts so retrieved while a few museum curators are also expected to be trained in the field of maritime archaeology shortly. The team's long-term plan is the establishment of an underwater archaeology unit which will be able to undertake excavations underwater not only on shipwrecks, but also on other artefacts in our rivers and reservoirs.
"Illustrations and Views of Dutch Ceylon (1602-1796)"
by R.K. de Silva and W.G.M. Beumer, Serendib Publication, London, 1988.
National Maritime Museum, Galle
The National Maritime Museum, Galle Located within the Fort of Galle in a colonial Dutch ware-house with imposing pillars. This museum displays the fauna & flora of the sea and the environment. Artefacts consist of preserved material and scale models of whales and fishes. Generally, all the resources of the sea are covered in this Museum.
It also shows in diorama form with life size models, the traditional methods of fishing. Some artefacts of under water archaeology are on display. An interesting experiment is the `walk-into-the sea' diorama, showing the natural coral beds, sea grass beds and deep sea fishes. Finally, one leaves the museum seeing the causes of sea pollution, coast erosion and methods used to combat these problems.
Open daily from 0900 Hrs - 1700 Hrs Admission : Adults Rs.50. Children Rs.25.
Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka: Salvage of 'De Avondster' by VIMUKTHI FERNANDO
From outside, it is just a 'shed' built at the water's edge in the Bay of Galle. Step inside, and one finds people busier than the bees; Two groups of people from two countries, Sri Lanka and Netherlands are busy working on their dream - 'Evenstar', imparting knowledge and recovering the heritage of two countries. We are at the Conservation Laboratory of the Maritime Archaeology Unit (MAU) formed under the Mutual Heritage Programme, a collaboration between the governments of Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
Paradoxical. But, true. It is an evenstar that marks the dawn of maritime archaeology in Sri Lanka. No, not one that fades off quickly. But, one which stands her ground even after 350 years of its demise and gains international fame.
One, that saw many a voyage across continents in its hay day. A treasure trove "not of silver or gold but of knowledge and archaeological value" according to Lieutenant Commander, Somasiri Devendra, a specialist in maritime archaeology, 'De Avondster' or the evening star, a Dutch jacht wrecked in the Galle harbour on the night of June 23, 1659 has become a milestone in the establishment of a maritime archaeology unit in Sri Lanka.
Lying in her watery grave, surprisingly close to the shore just 50 meters off Marine Drive in the shallow waters, Avondster's two significant artifacts an anchor and one of her six cannons, were salvaged last week to mark 400 years of bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
"Now, we are at a new era of cultural, developmental and economic corporation between the two countries, says the Ambassador for the Netherlands, Susan Blankhart, sharing her views on the event of excavating Avondster's significant artifacts. The excavation will be "an opportunity to study the bilateral relations between the two countries at that time and will promote Sri Lanka as a cultural destination for European tourists", agreeing with the ambassador, Minister of Human Resources, Education and Cultural Affairs Dr. Karunasena Kodithuwakku opines.
Their expectations echo in the five weathered brown faces smiling at us, returning from a dive they had just carried out. The team consists of seven young divers from the Archaeology Department, five of whom already have been undergoing training since 1992. Armed with special degrees in archaeology they are confident and enthusiastic of being the pioneers of Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka. They were first year students in the university, when they started training. Later on, they got involved with the diving and salvaging operations with the team of divers and conservators surveying and recording the underwater 'heritage' in the Bay of Galle. They mapped 26 shipwrecks within the 62 hectares of the Bay of Galle, and carried out excavating operations on a small scale. There is so much we can do in this field," they explain. "Underwater photography, video, drawing, survey, excavation, conservation and so on are all part and parcel of marine archaeology and provide so much potential."
We begin to see anew. A young girl, J. D. Samanthilaka sits on a stool, methodically recording the haul. Though she is a trainee who joined only a few months back, nothing escapes her eye. Even a small piece of wood of about 2 inches is "very important". Indrani and Anusha discuss with their colleague from Netherlands, some finer points in the preservation of what is recovered. Some of the plastic boxes, lying on the ground and neatly arranged on shelves contain fresh water. Others contain chemicals such as Potassium Sulphate (NaSo4). Submerged therein are various items, bricks, iron balls and pieces of wood. A total of 331 artefacts including a well preserved rope, cannon balls of 03 sizes, yellow Dutch bricks, barrels, medicinal jars, storage jars, jugs, bottles, a plate and spoons have been recovered from the site so far.
A human skull was also excavated from beneath the 17th century layers of dust and debris raising speculation, for no casualties are accounted in the contemporary records of the wreck. Questions arise as to whether it belongs to a stowaway, a lady of the port, or an early salvage diver? However, it is immaterial whether those sensational questions are answered.
Lying beneath just 5 meters of murky water covering an area 40 meters long and 10 meters wide and surprisingly undisturbed, Avondster is expected to reveal much about the construction details of ships in the 17th Century and the organization of Asian trade by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) at the time. Avondster, or evening star with an unrecorded history and 12 years of service with the English East India Company, was deemed an 'old yatch' and used in regional trade, making comparatively short voyages, by the VOC which captured the ship from the English in 1653.
Avondster is the first major project undertaken by the Maritime Archaeology Unit formed under the Mutual Heritage Centre, managed by the Central Cultural Fund in cooperation with the Amsterdam Historical Museum & the University of Amsterdam. This co-operation project in maritime geological activities is one in a variety of events organized by the governments of the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, to commemorate their long standing bilateral relations. Started with the sponsorship of Rs. 66 million from the Dutch Cultural Fund in November, 2001 the project will continue till 2004, "by which time the MAU will be able to operate on its own" expect maritime experts from both countries.
Avondster provides a "good training site" says Miranda Vos who volunteered to be in Sri Lanka for the second time, assisting Robert Parthesius, Director Amsterdam Historical Museum who is in charge of the work at Avondster site. Shallow waters make it easy for divers who are new to maritime archaeology and conservation. Its closeness to the shore eases the financial burden of excavation operations which could be carried out from shore.
Lying on a gently shelving sea bed, under the silt of sand and finer sediments, Avondster is "an exceptionally well preserved site" agrees, Mike Nash, another volunteer Maritime Archaeologist.
Apart from the torn off stern section, agreeing with the contemporary records of the ship breaking into two when it sank, the hull is complete upto the gun deck on one side, say the team who carried out diving operations at the Avondster site. The slow degradation is believed to be due to the fresh water inflow at her location. Avondster perished at a river mouth according to the contemporary records of its owners, the VOC.
The ship recorded a capacity of over 250 tons and needed a crew of 65 on her long voyages. Of English origin, the English East India Company called her "Blessing" and employed it in the voyages between Europe and Asia in 1641. She was captured by the VOC in 1953 and was renamed "Avondster" in 1953. On the fateful night of June 23, 1659, when she was loading cargo for India anchored at Black Fort, Galle, she slipped her anchor, drifted off in the perilous rocky area and sank in the soft sand before anything was done.
Artefacts from the Dutch era had been an attraction of tourists visiting Galle for a long time. The Mutual Heritage Programme will also look into the potential of preserving the cultural values in the Dutch Forte area in Galle. Some renovations have already been carried out in the hallmark buildings within the Fort such as the Dutch Reformed Church built in 1682. Avondster along with six other VOC shipwrecks in and around the Bay of Galle will also enhance the potential in promoting Sri Lanka as a cultural destination, and bringing the people of the two countries closer.
Paradoxical. But, true. It is an evenstar that marks the dawn of maritime archaeology in Sri Lanka. No, not one that fades off quickly. But, one which stands her ground even after 350 years of its demise and gains international fame.
One, that saw many a voyage across continents in its hay day. A treasure trove "not of silver or gold but of knowledge and archaeological value" according to Lieutenant Commander, Somasiri Devendra, a specialist in maritime archaeology, 'De Avondster' or the evening star, a Dutch jacht wrecked in the Galle harbour on the night of June 23, 1659 has become a milestone in the establishment of a maritime archaeology unit in Sri Lanka.
Lying in her watery grave, surprisingly close to the shore just 50 meters off Marine Drive in the shallow waters, Avondster's two significant artifacts an anchor and one of her six cannons, were salvaged last week to mark 400 years of bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
"Now, we are at a new era of cultural, developmental and economic corporation between the two countries, says the Ambassador for the Netherlands, Susan Blankhart, sharing her views on the event of excavating Avondster's significant artifacts. The excavation will be "an opportunity to study the bilateral relations between the two countries at that time and will promote Sri Lanka as a cultural destination for European tourists", agreeing with the ambassador, Minister of Human Resources, Education and Cultural Affairs Dr. Karunasena Kodithuwakku opines.
Their expectations echo in the five weathered brown faces smiling at us, returning from a dive they had just carried out. The team consists of seven young divers from the Archaeology Department, five of whom already have been undergoing training since 1992. Armed with special degrees in archaeology they are confident and enthusiastic of being the pioneers of Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka. They were first year students in the university, when they started training. Later on, they got involved with the diving and salvaging operations with the team of divers and conservators surveying and recording the underwater 'heritage' in the Bay of Galle. They mapped 26 shipwrecks within the 62 hectares of the Bay of Galle, and carried out excavating operations on a small scale. There is so much we can do in this field," they explain. "Underwater photography, video, drawing, survey, excavation, conservation and so on are all part and parcel of marine archaeology and provide so much potential."
We begin to see anew. A young girl, J. D. Samanthilaka sits on a stool, methodically recording the haul. Though she is a trainee who joined only a few months back, nothing escapes her eye. Even a small piece of wood of about 2 inches is "very important". Indrani and Anusha discuss with their colleague from Netherlands, some finer points in the preservation of what is recovered. Some of the plastic boxes, lying on the ground and neatly arranged on shelves contain fresh water. Others contain chemicals such as Potassium Sulphate (NaSo4). Submerged therein are various items, bricks, iron balls and pieces of wood. A total of 331 artefacts including a well preserved rope, cannon balls of 03 sizes, yellow Dutch bricks, barrels, medicinal jars, storage jars, jugs, bottles, a plate and spoons have been recovered from the site so far.
A human skull was also excavated from beneath the 17th century layers of dust and debris raising speculation, for no casualties are accounted in the contemporary records of the wreck. Questions arise as to whether it belongs to a stowaway, a lady of the port, or an early salvage diver? However, it is immaterial whether those sensational questions are answered.
Lying beneath just 5 meters of murky water covering an area 40 meters long and 10 meters wide and surprisingly undisturbed, Avondster is expected to reveal much about the construction details of ships in the 17th Century and the organization of Asian trade by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) at the time. Avondster, or evening star with an unrecorded history and 12 years of service with the English East India Company, was deemed an 'old yatch' and used in regional trade, making comparatively short voyages, by the VOC which captured the ship from the English in 1653.
Avondster is the first major project undertaken by the Maritime Archaeology Unit formed under the Mutual Heritage Centre, managed by the Central Cultural Fund in cooperation with the Amsterdam Historical Museum & the University of Amsterdam. This co-operation project in maritime geological activities is one in a variety of events organized by the governments of the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, to commemorate their long standing bilateral relations. Started with the sponsorship of Rs. 66 million from the Dutch Cultural Fund in November, 2001 the project will continue till 2004, "by which time the MAU will be able to operate on its own" expect maritime experts from both countries.
Avondster provides a "good training site" says Miranda Vos who volunteered to be in Sri Lanka for the second time, assisting Robert Parthesius, Director Amsterdam Historical Museum who is in charge of the work at Avondster site. Shallow waters make it easy for divers who are new to maritime archaeology and conservation. Its closeness to the shore eases the financial burden of excavation operations which could be carried out from shore.
Lying on a gently shelving sea bed, under the silt of sand and finer sediments, Avondster is "an exceptionally well preserved site" agrees, Mike Nash, another volunteer Maritime Archaeologist.
Apart from the torn off stern section, agreeing with the contemporary records of the ship breaking into two when it sank, the hull is complete upto the gun deck on one side, say the team who carried out diving operations at the Avondster site. The slow degradation is believed to be due to the fresh water inflow at her location. Avondster perished at a river mouth according to the contemporary records of its owners, the VOC.
The ship recorded a capacity of over 250 tons and needed a crew of 65 on her long voyages. Of English origin, the English East India Company called her "Blessing" and employed it in the voyages between Europe and Asia in 1641. She was captured by the VOC in 1953 and was renamed "Avondster" in 1953. On the fateful night of June 23, 1659, when she was loading cargo for India anchored at Black Fort, Galle, she slipped her anchor, drifted off in the perilous rocky area and sank in the soft sand before anything was done.
Artefacts from the Dutch era had been an attraction of tourists visiting Galle for a long time. The Mutual Heritage Programme will also look into the potential of preserving the cultural values in the Dutch Forte area in Galle. Some renovations have already been carried out in the hallmark buildings within the Fort such as the Dutch Reformed Church built in 1682. Avondster along with six other VOC shipwrecks in and around the Bay of Galle will also enhance the potential in promoting Sri Lanka as a cultural destination, and bringing the people of the two countries closer.
Diving and Snorkelling
Monsoons ensure that one half of Sri Lanka’s coastal waters are always in season for all aquatic pursuits – the west coast from December to March and the north and east coasts from March to September, although July and October are best avoided. Visibility underwater in season is excellent and ranges from 50-100 feet. There are 138 species of brilliantly coloured coral recorded for Sri Lanka, harbouring stunning tropical fish and there is a wide coral shelf surrounding the island’s coast at intervals, from north to south, providing excellent diving opportunities.
The History of Underwater Exploration
The history of underwater exploration in Sri Lanka can be said to have originated with the pearl divers of the Gulf of Mannar, who several thousand years ago began trawling the bottom of the sea for oysters. In the modern era, however, the first event of significance occurred in 1864-5 when the Viennese landscape and genre painter, Eugene de Ransonnet, visited the island and used a diving-bell to sketch the coral banks off the port of Galle. These remarkable sketches are reproduced in the book Early Prints of Ceylon by R. K. de Silva (1985).
The British Navy used divers, principally to check the hulls of the ships in the bases at Colombo and Trincomalee. But it was not until the late 1930s, when face masks, snorkels and flippers arrived on the island, that the wonderfully rich and varied underwater life around it could be viewed with comparative ease, if only from the surface. During World War Two, divers were used defensively to carry out underwater patrols of the bases in case of Japanese infiltration.
In 1943, a floating dock named AFD 26, reputed to be the biggest ever built, broke its back in Trincomalee Harbour with the battleship H.M.S. Valiant berthed in her. The bows of the ship were soon suspended above the water, with her stern submerged, and to save her from breaking her own back, depth charges were dropped to settle the dock on an even keel. AFD 26, whose twisted superstructure protruded from the harbour waters for the best part of twenty-five years, was finally raised after many abortive attempts in 1968 by a team of French divers in one of the largest ever salvage operations of its type.
In the years after the war, a Sri Lankan named Rodney Jonklaas, a renowned spearfisher, pioneered scuba-diving locally. It was Jonklaas who was standing on the Colombo quayside in 1956 when the then not-so-well-known science fiction writer Arthur Clarke and his friend, a young ex-Merchant Navy diver called Mike Wilson, arrived on the island. Wilson had taught Clarke to dive, first in a London swimming pool and then in the English Channel. They had spent over a year exploring the Great Barrier Reef, and were now eager to sample what Sri Lanka had to offer.
Clarke and Wilson’s first dive in Sri Lanka was off Akurala Reef near Galle, where they discovered that the sharks were much less aggressive than those of the Great Barrier Reef. Within months they had explored six underwater wrecks, two of which had gone down off the Akurala Reef. One of these was the Earl of Shaftesbury, which sank in 1893. The other was the nearby Conch, one of the first oil tankers of the Shell Company, which sank in 1903. They also explored a Danish wreck, a cargo passenger ship called the Elsia, which had caught fire before sinking in 1939.
There were contemporary wrecks to explore as well, for in early 1956 the Greek freighter Aenos, carrying 6,000 tons of manganese, struck Rala Gala Reef north of Galle and sank. The crew was rescued by local fishermen, who then proceeded to plunder the upper parts of the ship, which remained above water. Clarke and Wilson arrived five days later to see what they could bring up from beneath the waves. In the event, however, they could only salvage several tool chests and some coffee jugs.
Parallel to such underwater exploration, Wilson and Jonklaas endeavoured, without much success, to establish a diving business known as Clarke-Wilson Associates. Their tasks were mainly mundane ones, such as the cleaning of water inlet and sewage outlet grills of ships in Colombo harbour, and morbid ones, such as the retrieval of corpses. The most demanding and perilous job they performed was at Castlereagh Dam, where they had to work in the claustrophobic confines of 40 cm wide shutter case with oxygen piped from the surface.
Jonklaas decided that his future lay in exporting tropical fish, so Wilson tried to promote what he called “submarine safaris” - underwater tours encompassing marine archaeology, exotic fishes and marine mammals, rare seas shells and corals, and unrivalled spear fishing. Despite the stirring words of the advertising - “Your Guides, the top underwater men in the East; your equipment the finest in the World; your diving grounds the most exciting Anywhere” - the idea proved ahead of its time.
Nevertheless, Wilson was undeterred, and set out to make the first underwater documentary to be shot in the seas around the island. The result, a pioneering 25-minute 16mm film called Beneath the Seas of Ceylon, was written, photographed and directed by him. It features several breathtaking scenes of Rodney Jonklaas taming some very large groupers - and then being chased by sharks! For the first time Sri Lankans - and indeed people all over the world - were able to gain an impression of the island’s underwater treasures.
These early undersea explorations and activities culminated in 1961 with Wilson’s discovery, during the filming of his underwater short film Boy Beneath the Sea, of a wreck of unknown origin on the Great Basses Reef, containing several cannon and thousands of silver Moghul rupees, all dated 1702. Following discussions with the BBC, Wilson was contracted to make a documentary on a fresh exploration of the wreck, to be mounted in 1963. The film, called Treasure of the Great Reef, turned out to be a fine example of the genre at a time when underwater photography was less common and less sophisticated. The narration for the film was done by Clarke, who also wrote a book of the same name on the subject - his only work of non-fiction concerned exclusively with Sri Lanka.
A year earlier, however, Wilson had made his debut as a feature director with Ranmuthu Duwa, which has the distinction of being the first full-length film in colour to be produced in Sri Lanka. The film predictably involves much underwater photography, in particular the discovery of sea treasure. It may not have been great art, but it proved to be a massive hit with audiences. Most importantly, the making of the film in the waters around Swami Rock, Trincomalee, was to lead to another underwater discovery by Wilson of greater cultural significance than the earlier chests of silver coins.
When Jonklaas and Wilson had first dived at this spot in 1956, the Brahmin of the Tirukonesvaram temple on the top of Swami Rock - which had been sacked and pushed into the sea by the Portuguese centuries before - had requested them to keep a special eye open for the lingam associated with their holy site. Although they made many dives at this spot, and got to know the bottom well, they found nothing. Then one day in 1962, while using the site as a film location for Ranmuthu Duwa, Wilson went for a dive to cool off during a camera break. On the bottom, he suddenly perceived a perfectly circular pillar - it was the lingam! He delivered the lingam to the temple where it was enshrined and has been worshipped ever since. (As you approach the temple, it is located in a shrine on the right hand side of the entrance.)
The discovery of the lingam was to have a great personal impact on Wilson’s life. Within a decade he had given up both diving and film-making, renounced the household life and become a swami. It was the end of the pioneering era of diving in Sri Lanka and the beginning of a new one - one which has been rightfully dominated by a generation of increasingly professional Sri Lankan divers, who undertake an array of services from salvage to marine archaeology. Nevertheless, the tales of Wilson’s dives on the aircraft carrier, H. M. S. Hermes, sunk by the Japanese in 1942 off Batticaloa, are now the stuff of legend (he kept the huge brass starboard lamp in his bedroom), and his idea of ‘submarine safaris’ lives on in style - even though he himself died in 1995.
The British Navy used divers, principally to check the hulls of the ships in the bases at Colombo and Trincomalee. But it was not until the late 1930s, when face masks, snorkels and flippers arrived on the island, that the wonderfully rich and varied underwater life around it could be viewed with comparative ease, if only from the surface. During World War Two, divers were used defensively to carry out underwater patrols of the bases in case of Japanese infiltration.
In 1943, a floating dock named AFD 26, reputed to be the biggest ever built, broke its back in Trincomalee Harbour with the battleship H.M.S. Valiant berthed in her. The bows of the ship were soon suspended above the water, with her stern submerged, and to save her from breaking her own back, depth charges were dropped to settle the dock on an even keel. AFD 26, whose twisted superstructure protruded from the harbour waters for the best part of twenty-five years, was finally raised after many abortive attempts in 1968 by a team of French divers in one of the largest ever salvage operations of its type.
In the years after the war, a Sri Lankan named Rodney Jonklaas, a renowned spearfisher, pioneered scuba-diving locally. It was Jonklaas who was standing on the Colombo quayside in 1956 when the then not-so-well-known science fiction writer Arthur Clarke and his friend, a young ex-Merchant Navy diver called Mike Wilson, arrived on the island. Wilson had taught Clarke to dive, first in a London swimming pool and then in the English Channel. They had spent over a year exploring the Great Barrier Reef, and were now eager to sample what Sri Lanka had to offer.
Clarke and Wilson’s first dive in Sri Lanka was off Akurala Reef near Galle, where they discovered that the sharks were much less aggressive than those of the Great Barrier Reef. Within months they had explored six underwater wrecks, two of which had gone down off the Akurala Reef. One of these was the Earl of Shaftesbury, which sank in 1893. The other was the nearby Conch, one of the first oil tankers of the Shell Company, which sank in 1903. They also explored a Danish wreck, a cargo passenger ship called the Elsia, which had caught fire before sinking in 1939.
There were contemporary wrecks to explore as well, for in early 1956 the Greek freighter Aenos, carrying 6,000 tons of manganese, struck Rala Gala Reef north of Galle and sank. The crew was rescued by local fishermen, who then proceeded to plunder the upper parts of the ship, which remained above water. Clarke and Wilson arrived five days later to see what they could bring up from beneath the waves. In the event, however, they could only salvage several tool chests and some coffee jugs.
Parallel to such underwater exploration, Wilson and Jonklaas endeavoured, without much success, to establish a diving business known as Clarke-Wilson Associates. Their tasks were mainly mundane ones, such as the cleaning of water inlet and sewage outlet grills of ships in Colombo harbour, and morbid ones, such as the retrieval of corpses. The most demanding and perilous job they performed was at Castlereagh Dam, where they had to work in the claustrophobic confines of 40 cm wide shutter case with oxygen piped from the surface.
Jonklaas decided that his future lay in exporting tropical fish, so Wilson tried to promote what he called “submarine safaris” - underwater tours encompassing marine archaeology, exotic fishes and marine mammals, rare seas shells and corals, and unrivalled spear fishing. Despite the stirring words of the advertising - “Your Guides, the top underwater men in the East; your equipment the finest in the World; your diving grounds the most exciting Anywhere” - the idea proved ahead of its time.
Nevertheless, Wilson was undeterred, and set out to make the first underwater documentary to be shot in the seas around the island. The result, a pioneering 25-minute 16mm film called Beneath the Seas of Ceylon, was written, photographed and directed by him. It features several breathtaking scenes of Rodney Jonklaas taming some very large groupers - and then being chased by sharks! For the first time Sri Lankans - and indeed people all over the world - were able to gain an impression of the island’s underwater treasures.
These early undersea explorations and activities culminated in 1961 with Wilson’s discovery, during the filming of his underwater short film Boy Beneath the Sea, of a wreck of unknown origin on the Great Basses Reef, containing several cannon and thousands of silver Moghul rupees, all dated 1702. Following discussions with the BBC, Wilson was contracted to make a documentary on a fresh exploration of the wreck, to be mounted in 1963. The film, called Treasure of the Great Reef, turned out to be a fine example of the genre at a time when underwater photography was less common and less sophisticated. The narration for the film was done by Clarke, who also wrote a book of the same name on the subject - his only work of non-fiction concerned exclusively with Sri Lanka.
A year earlier, however, Wilson had made his debut as a feature director with Ranmuthu Duwa, which has the distinction of being the first full-length film in colour to be produced in Sri Lanka. The film predictably involves much underwater photography, in particular the discovery of sea treasure. It may not have been great art, but it proved to be a massive hit with audiences. Most importantly, the making of the film in the waters around Swami Rock, Trincomalee, was to lead to another underwater discovery by Wilson of greater cultural significance than the earlier chests of silver coins.
When Jonklaas and Wilson had first dived at this spot in 1956, the Brahmin of the Tirukonesvaram temple on the top of Swami Rock - which had been sacked and pushed into the sea by the Portuguese centuries before - had requested them to keep a special eye open for the lingam associated with their holy site. Although they made many dives at this spot, and got to know the bottom well, they found nothing. Then one day in 1962, while using the site as a film location for Ranmuthu Duwa, Wilson went for a dive to cool off during a camera break. On the bottom, he suddenly perceived a perfectly circular pillar - it was the lingam! He delivered the lingam to the temple where it was enshrined and has been worshipped ever since. (As you approach the temple, it is located in a shrine on the right hand side of the entrance.)
The discovery of the lingam was to have a great personal impact on Wilson’s life. Within a decade he had given up both diving and film-making, renounced the household life and become a swami. It was the end of the pioneering era of diving in Sri Lanka and the beginning of a new one - one which has been rightfully dominated by a generation of increasingly professional Sri Lankan divers, who undertake an array of services from salvage to marine archaeology. Nevertheless, the tales of Wilson’s dives on the aircraft carrier, H. M. S. Hermes, sunk by the Japanese in 1942 off Batticaloa, are now the stuff of legend (he kept the huge brass starboard lamp in his bedroom), and his idea of ‘submarine safaris’ lives on in style - even though he himself died in 1995.
Diving & snorkeling in Sri Lanka
Conveniently rostered monsoons ensure that one half of the island's coastal waters are always in season for all aquatic pursuits - the west coast from December to March and the north and east coasts from March to September; July and October are best avoided. Underwater visibility in season is good and ranges from 50 to 100 feet. Diving & snorkelling in Sri Lanka
A wide coral shelf surrounds Sri Lanka's coast at intervals, from north to south, providing excellent sites for diving and snorkelling. There are 138 species of coral recorded for Sri Lanka. These coral reefs, gorgeously coloured and fantastically shaped, harbour marvellously beautiful tropical fish. Among the most spectacular are the Emperor Angel Fish, the Moorish Idol, the dainty Powder-blue Sturgeon, Sergeant-Major, Lion, Unicorn, Parrot, Clown, Porcupine, and Striped Damsel.
Some of the best dive sites are Ambalangoda, Hikkaduwa, Gintota, Galle, Unawaturn, Weligama, Kudawell, Mahawella, Dickwella, Tangalle and the famed Great and Little Basses (best in March and April)
On the south and south-east coast; Arippu, Silavatural, Kandakuliya. and the Bar-reef. On the north-west coast the Bar-reef
On the western sea-board - Negombo and Beruwela-Bentota.
Sri Lanka's east coast has exceptional underwater sites at Kalmunai, Kattankudy, Batticaloa, Tirrukovil, Punnakudah, Kalkudah, Passekudah, Vakkarai and Pigeion Island.
Apart from the coral, fish and shells the reefs and sea-beds off-shore from Sri Lanka offer another exciting attraction for skilled divers, underwater archaeologists and photographers; shipwrecks! Sri Lanka has lots of them both ancient (1703) and modern (1942). The main attraction of the wrecks, apart from the possibility of discovering buried treasure is the abundance of marine life, sometimes so thick, you can't see 5 feet ahead.
A wide coral shelf surrounds Sri Lanka's coast at intervals, from north to south, providing excellent sites for diving and snorkelling. There are 138 species of coral recorded for Sri Lanka. These coral reefs, gorgeously coloured and fantastically shaped, harbour marvellously beautiful tropical fish. Among the most spectacular are the Emperor Angel Fish, the Moorish Idol, the dainty Powder-blue Sturgeon, Sergeant-Major, Lion, Unicorn, Parrot, Clown, Porcupine, and Striped Damsel.
Some of the best dive sites are Ambalangoda, Hikkaduwa, Gintota, Galle, Unawaturn, Weligama, Kudawell, Mahawella, Dickwella, Tangalle and the famed Great and Little Basses (best in March and April)
On the south and south-east coast; Arippu, Silavatural, Kandakuliya. and the Bar-reef. On the north-west coast the Bar-reef
On the western sea-board - Negombo and Beruwela-Bentota.
Sri Lanka's east coast has exceptional underwater sites at Kalmunai, Kattankudy, Batticaloa, Tirrukovil, Punnakudah, Kalkudah, Passekudah, Vakkarai and Pigeion Island.
Apart from the coral, fish and shells the reefs and sea-beds off-shore from Sri Lanka offer another exciting attraction for skilled divers, underwater archaeologists and photographers; shipwrecks! Sri Lanka has lots of them both ancient (1703) and modern (1942). The main attraction of the wrecks, apart from the possibility of discovering buried treasure is the abundance of marine life, sometimes so thick, you can't see 5 feet ahead.
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