Pigeon Island tour Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

The Pigeon Island Marine Sanctuary is one of two Marine National Parks in Sri Lanka. The Pigeon Island Marine Sanctuary covers 471.4 hectares in total, with 9 ha covering the mainland and the remainder encompassing the coral beds that form the Marine National Park's perimeter.

The Pigeon Island National Park is 312 kilometers from Colombo and is accessible via the Puttlam-Anuradhapura-Trincomalee Highway. Travel time by automobile is predicted to be 5 hours and 55 minutes.

Pigeon Island got its name from the hundreds of endemic Blue Rock Pigeons that live on the island. It is located in the Eastern Province, north of Trincomalee, one kilometer off the Nilaveli shore, which is recognized as the most beautiful length of beach on the island.

The Pigeon Island Marine Sanctuary is a one-of-a-kind natural phenomena comprised of two islands known as the Large and Small Pigeon Islands. In 1963, it was established as a Marine Sanctuary, and in 2003, it was proclaimed as a National Park. Visitors may view hundreds of Blue Rock Pigeons, an endangered species, nesting and reproducing amid the rocks as they reach the island.

The Large Pigeon Island has a 200m long and 100m broad coral reef with over 100 kinds of magnificent corals, making it a one-of-a-kind living coral reef in Sri Lanka. It is regarded a high-diversity ecosystem and a socioeconomically significant reef environment, with vegetation dominated by Acropora spp., Montipora spp., Faviddae, Mussidae, and Poritidae coral species, as well as soft corals such as Sinularia, Lobophyton, and Sarcophyton. This coral-rich ecosystem, surrounded by a tangle of smaller islands and rocky outcrops at Small Pigeon Island, has become a popular feeding and nesting area for over 300 species of coral reef fish, producing a colorful underwater symphony.

There are juvenile and adult Black tip reef sharks among the fish species, as well as a number of endangered and protected fish species such as Bi-color cleaner wrasse, Raggedfin parrotfish, Humphead Wrasse, Mellon Butterflyfish, Black wedged buterflyfish, Moorish idon, Blue ringed angelfish, and Emperor angelfish. Interestingly, there are also visiting sea turtles such as Hawksbill, Green, Leatherback, Loggerhead, and Olive Ridley sea turtles, amongst other intriguing vertebrates and invertebrates. This underwater paradise is a slice of heaven for scuba divers, snorkelers, and surfers.

This boat cruise will take you to Pigeon Island, which has one of Sri Lanka's most unusual and gorgeous white sand beaches. It is ideal for snorkeling and relaxation. You will cruise the Indian Ocean aboard a comfortable, safe, and brand new boat, guided by a skilled boatman.