Sri Lanka Dive Sites – Historical Shipwreck Sites

Over 100 Sri Lanka Dive Sites are related to historical shipwrecks in Sri Lankan waters. They are scattered around the country, and there may be many unknown historical shipwrecks around the country. Most of the identified historical shipwrecks belong to the colonial period, and the oldest shipwreck site identified is the 2000 years old Godawaya Shipwreck Site, the oldest shipwreck site in the Asia-Pacific Region. Most of the identified shipwreck sites were in service from 1850 to 1950. The deepest known shipwreck lies 65-67 meters under the sea.

Shipwreck Site Photo Credit: Rasika Muthucumarana

The Sri Lanka Dive Sites Distribution and Interactive Map – Historical Shipwrecks and Shipwreck Sites

The Sri Lanka dive sites related to identified historical shipwrecks are scattered around the country. The National Shipwreck Database of Sri Lanka developed by the Central Cultural Fund provides the distribution of known ship and plane wreck sites based on the administrative provinces of Sri Lanka. The following table shows the distribution.

Province
Wrecks

Eastern
33

Southern
32

Western
27

Northern
12

North-Western
3

Source: https://nsd.ccf.gov.lk/

To find out the locations of the sites, please use the interactive map of the Sri Lanka National Shipwreck Database. This interactive shipwreck site map will provide a good insight into the distribution of the sites. The filtering option of the interactive map will allow filtering the sites by depth, sunk year, province, legal status, access restriction.

Interactive Map of Shipwreck Sites

A list of Sri Lanka Dive Sites with Historically Significant that dive centers allowed to take divers

Antiquities Ordinance protects some shipwreck sites. Access to around 30 sites is restricted in Sri Lanka, especially the sites in the Galle and Trincomalee harbors. There are over 50 wonderful historic shipwreck sites around the country where commercial diving centers take their customers. Most of the sites are that diving centers take customers are in the Sothern Province of Sri Lanka. This may be due to the fact the southern costs are more popular among tourists. This list is from the Dive Sri Lanka website by Dharshana Jayawardena.

Wreck and Year of sinking
Location
Depth
Our Rating
Commercial Dive Center Access

MV Astoria(?)
Colombo
24M
Average
No

MV Tricolor (?)
Beruwala
65M
Excellent
No

Condolidated Catalina PBY-5A
Aircraft
42m
Good
Not opened for diving yet

Hardingham
Colombo
21M
Not Evaluated
Special permission required

Avondster 1659
Galle (Harbor)
5M
Not Evaluated
Special permission required

Dolfijn 1663
Galle (Harbor)
Unknown
Not Evaluated
Special permission required

Hercules 1661
Galle (Harbor)
Unknown
Not Evaluated
Special permission required

Admiralty Floating Dock 26
Trincomalee
Unknown
Not Evaluated
Special permission required

Black Coral Wreck
Colombo
40 M
Excellent
Yes

Lotus Barge
Colombo
28 M
Excellent
Yes

Cardinal Barge
Colombo
29 M
Below Average
Yes

Clarke Wreck
Colombo
29 M
Good
Yes

Toilet Barge
Colombo
32M
Good
Yes

Thermopylae Sierra
Colombo
23M
Excellent
Yes

Taprobane North Wreck (Perseus 1917?)
Colombo
40M
World Class
Yes

Taprobane North Barge
Colombo
40M
Excellent
Yes

SS Worcestershire
Colombo
57M
Excellent
Yes

Chief Dragon Car Wreck
Colombo
34.5M
Excellent
Yes

Taprobane East Wreck
Colombo
32M
Excellent
Yes

Battery barge
Colombo
45M
Excellent
Yes

Medhufaru
Colombo
30M
Excellent
Yes

Pecheur Breton Cargo Wreck
Colombo
33M
Excellent
Yes

Trug
Colombo
33M
Excellent
Yes

The Coal Ship (Hardingham or Delhi Coal?)
Colombo
26M
Average
Yes

The Conch
Hikkaduwa
20M
Excellent
Yes

Earl of Shaftesbury
Hikkaduwa
12-14M
Good
Yes

Norsa
Hikkaduwa
15M
Not Evaluated
Yes

Aenos 1956
Dodanduwa
Unknown
Not Evaluated
Yes

Arcturus
Galle
18M
Not Evaluated
Yes

Alliance
Galle
23M
Not Evaluated
Yes

Bottle Wreck
Galle
24M
Not Evaluated
Yes

Crispigi Cross
Galle
16M
Not Evaluated
Yes

Ethopy 1877
Galle
15M
Not Evaluated
Yes

Lord Nelson
Galle
Unknown
Not Evaluated
Yes

SS Orestes
Galle (Harbor)
24m
Good
Yes

Rangoon
Galle
30M
Excellent
Yes

MV Cordiality
Trincomalee (Pulmudai to North)
18M
Excellent
Yes

The British Sergeant
Vakarai
26M
Excellent
Yes

Lady McCullum SS
Vakarai
17M
Average
Yes

Gladys Moller SS and the wreck graveyard in Passikudah
Wreck
10M
Average
Yes

World War II Aircraft
Trincomalee (Harbor)
24M
Average to Good
Yes

Sri Lankan Navy Chinese Gun Boats
Trincomalee (Harbor)
18 M
Good
Yes

Irrakandy Wreck (SS Ava)
Trincomalee
9.5M
Excellent
Yes

H.M.S Diomede
Trincomalee
42M
Below Average
Yes

Flute Overness 1704
Great Basses
Unknown
Not Evaluated
Yes with a special arrangement

Alette Adriana 1760’s
Great Basses
Unknown
Not Evaluated
Yes with a special arrangement

Daedulus
Little Basses
Unknown
Not Evaluated
Yes with a special arrangement

HMS Hollyhock
Kalmunai
42M
Excellent
Yes with a special arrangement

MFA Athelstane
Kalmunai
42M
Excellent
Yes with a special arrangement

MV Ledra
Kalmunai
13M
Below Avg
Yes with a special arrangement

H.M.S Hermes
Batticaloa
42M-54M
Lifetime Experience (Excellent+)
Yes with a special arrangement

Learn before you dive

National Shipwreck Database of Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka National Shipwreck Database provides historical, legal, biodiversity information on identified ship and plane wreck sites. It is a good source for amateur or professional divers to learn more about shipwrecks and shipwreck sites before they dive. The information you learn from this site will provide you good background about the site and you can look for the specific details of the wreck site when you dive. This site provides reliable and accurate information collected by the Maritime Archaeology Unit, Sri Lanka Navy, Department of Archaeology National Aquatic Research & Development Agency, etc. The following key features of the database will allow you to learn interactively.

Interactive Map

Locate a shipwreck using the interactive map. This map provides filtering options to you to find in-depth details of each shipwreck site.

Maritime Timeline

This interactive timeline will tell the story of Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka, how it began and developed with time.

The Story of Godawaya

Discovery of the oldest shipwreck site in the Asia-Pacific Region. Find out when & where the wreck lays. The excavations and the artifacts were found.

Shipwreck Dashboard

Dashboard and a searchable list of shipwrecks around the country. It also contains interactive charts to learn more about the wrecks.

A list of Diving Centers in Sri Lanka that take customers to historical shipwreck sites

There are over 24 diving centers around the country that will take you to the historical shipwrecks and sites. Here is the list of diving centers prepared by the Dharshana Jayawardena. Most of these diving centers have instructors and professional equipment. The pricing will vary with the shipwreck site. This is a list compiled by Dharshana Jayawardena.

Location
Center

Kalpitiya
Kalpitiya Diving Center
http://kalpitiyadivingcenter.com/index.htm

Epic Encounters
http://www.epic-encounters.com/

Negombo Batticaloa Trincomalee
Sri Lanka Diving Tours
http://www.srilanka-divingtours.com/

Negombo
Colombo Divers
http://www.colombodivers.com

Colombo
Island Scuba
http://www.islandscuba.net

Bentota
Sunshine Diving
http://www.srilankawatersports.com/snorkeling-diving-srilanka.html

Bentota
Trincomalee
Scuba Sri Lanka
https://www.facebook.com/ScubaSriLanka

Beruwala
Trincomalee
Ypsylon Tourist Resort & Diving School

Seenigama
Hikkaduwa
Dive Seenigama
http://www.diveseenigamadivelanka.com/index.html

Hikkaduwa
Trincomalee
Poseidon Dive Station
http://www.divingsrilanka.com

Hikkaduwa
Blue Deep
http://bluedeepdiving.com/

Hikkaduwa
Barracuda
http://www.hikkabarracuda.com/

Hikkaduwa
International Diving School
http://theinternationaldivingschool.com/

Hikkaduwa
Dive for you
http://diveforyou.com/

Unawatuna
Unawatuna Diving Center
http://www.unawatunadiving.com

Unawatuna
Sea Horse Divers
http://www.seahorsedivinglanka.com/

Unawatuna
Submarine Diving School
https://www.submarinediving.center/

Unawatuna
Pearl Divers
http://www.unawatunadive.com

Weligama
Weligama Bay Dive Center
http://www.scubadivingweligama.com/

Matara
Polhena Diving Center
https://www.polhenadiving.com/

Vakarai
Passekudah
Scuba Addicts
https://www.scubaaddicts.lk/

Passekudah
LSR Travel
http://www.lsrtravel.com/diving-watersports/diving

Trincomalee
Nilaveli Diving Center
http://www.nilavelidiving.com

Special thanks should go to the Rasika Muthucumarana and Sri Lanka National Shipwreck Database developed by the Central Cultural Fund, Maritime Archaeology Unit, Institue of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, and Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. Dharshana Jayawardena, without his approval to publish the list of wrecks that commercial diving centers can access, this article would be less meaningful, thank you Dharshana.