The one-stop guide to diving in Sri Lanka!
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April Report - DiveSriLanka @ ADEX 2019 Suntec City
March Report - The bell of the second World War 1 casualty in Sri Lanka discovered
Finding the bell of the SS Perseus (1917)
The SS Perseus (1917) wreck is over a 100 years old
Editor Dharshana Jayawardena finds the bell on 09/03/2019
09/03/2019 - Statement made on the day the bell was found : "A really unexpected find today at the Taprobane North Wreck in Colombo, long suspected to be the SS Perseus sunk during World War I by German commerce raider SMS Wolf. For years I had spent hours and hours diving this mysterious wreck lying upon pristine sand 40m deep and 15km west of Colombo but had given up finding any conclusive evidence that proved that this wreck belonged to the Blue Funnel Line (the company to which Perseus belonged) or to find the ships name as Perseus.
Today the intention was spending 1 hour at 40m on CCR and since I had more time, decided to explore an area which I rarely visit (forward ship south of the fore mast) and discovered this buried in sand.
As with the bell of the SS Worcestershire (1917) which I found in March 2014 (also sunk by Wolf), I will hand this over to the Maritime Archaeology Unit (MAU) in Galle. They have already been informed of the find.
This find and the previous conclusively confirm the locations of the Worcestershire and the Perseus which were sunk days apart in February 1917."
The restored bell of the SS Worcestershire by the newly found bell at MAU
The official handing over ceremony at MAU on 19/03/2019
CCR Exploration of the SS Perseus started February 2019
Editor near the stern of the SS Perseus (1917)
February Report - Nil Diya Pokuna mapped?
24/02/2019 - "After expedition 8, last weekend, the main chambers of the Nil Diya Pokuna , Sri Lanka’s first underwater cave system, in Ella, has now been broadly mapped.
Ravana Maga (රාවන මග) has been connected with Sita Maga (සීතා මග) along the walls and a new pathway defined as Rama Maga (රාමා මග) which leads through a restriction named Lakshmana Rekha (ලක්ශ්මන රේඛා). As the cave is closely associated with the Ravana Legend in Sri Lanka, I thought that it was fitting for this map to be steeped with Ramayana mythology, which indeed a fascinating epic to read.
Few more areas need to be explored to check if the cave continues on (as it does in the general direction of Ravana Falls, leading me to believe that this is fed from the same water source. The water level rises as much as 5 meters during heavy rains. Hence the depths mentioned here should be taken after adding 7m (dry season) and 12m (wet season). I.e. the maximum depth in wet season is around 30m.
Here I have developed the map based off a clay model I did. A more professional map will be developed eventually containing exact measurements.
" - Dharshana Jayawardena
January Report - Happy New year 2019!
Expeditin VII to Nil Diya Pokuna
19/01/2019 - Expedition VII to Nil Diya Pokuna extended the Sita Line further. For this dive I was accomponied by my friend and cave diver from Thailand Mario Guido Rossi who took some amazing picture os me diving in the cave. Mario's adventures can be followed here on FB
CCR Cave Diving in Thailand
04/01/2019 - Early January was spent getting familliar with the Evolution APD CCR unit at the Song Hong cave, in preperation of Trimix Cave Diving in May 2019.
November Report - Back in the oceans after the monsoons
CCTV Cameras on a wreck?
24/11/2018 - What would it look like if you installed CCTV on a wreck? Here is a simulated impression created by placing a running video camera in various spots of a wreck and leaving it be. This is the delightful Lotus Wreck, off Colombo, which I found in 2015 based on information by fishermen.
Thermopyale Sierra Wreck (2012) - Colombo
20/11/2018 - Amidst great visibility I revisit another popular wreck dive in Colombo. This ship sank in August 2012 and I was "priviledged" (?) to observe the doomed ship just an hour before it completely sank.
Cave Diving inside the TRUG - Colombo
20/11/2018 - I start the season by exploring the TRUG, a Sri Lankan Ports Authority tug boat that sank in a storm in 1997. This time I head straight into the forward compartments and start exploring the dark confines inside.
August Report - During the monsoons, a mysterious underground Blue Water Pond beckons
6th Dive Expedition to Ravana's Nil Diya Pokuna in the high mountains of Ella, Sri Lanka
July Report - High winds in the east coast curtail wreck diving expedition
Rough seas allow for only one dive at the historic World War II British Sergeant
June Report - Trincomalee Natural Harbour wrecks
Refloated and resunk - Survey of the unique SS Sagaing (1942) - risen from the dead
In her new location - the wreck is a haven for marine life
22-06-1918 - I join the Department of Archaeology, Maritime Archaeological Unit (MAU CCF), Marine Environmet Pollution Authority (MEPA) and the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) to conduct a survey of the refloated and resunk world war II wreck SS Sagaing. click here for more information.
May Report - Planes and Caves
Back to World War II RAF Dutch Squadron 321 - Y78 crash site
06/05/2018 - I return to the east coast to survey the 1943 crash site of the World War II, RAF Dutch Sqadron Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina Y-78. I am happy that the crash site has suffered no significant deterioration in terms of crash debris or marine life.
Expedition V - Deep into Earth exploring Sri Lanka's first discovered underwater cave system
12/04/2018 - I return to Ravana's Nil Diya Pokuna, Ella Sri Lanka to conduct my 5th dive expedition into the underwater cave and unravel more information about this mysterious cave. Await the documentary Deep Into Earth.
April Report - ADEX TecConference 2018 Singapore and the MV Tricolor (1931)
DiveSriLanka will be speaking at ADEX 2018 TecDive Conference in Singapore
07/04/2018 - Visit one of the largest dive conventions in the world, ADEX Singapore during 6-8 April, 2018 and catch me at the TecDive Conference and presenting the discovery of Sri Lanka's first underwater cave system, the Ravana's Nil DIya Pokuna.
Exploring the MV Tricolor (1931), presumbaly the deepest wreck in Sri Lanka
30/03/2018 - My 6th exploratory dive to the massive wreck of the MV Tricolor(?) that sank in 1931 because of an internal explosion. (Very strong circumstancial evidence exists that this is the Tricolor). At 65m depth, currently, this is the deepest known wreck in Sri Lanka.
March Report - Sub-Aqua Club expedition to Galle and exploring the deep Colombo Wrecks
Exploring the world-war 1, SS Perseus (1917) - 40m
24-03-2018 - When the sea is calm, it is time to head to the far off outer feefs of Taprobane North and dive the SS Perseus (1917), the second victim of the sea mines laid by the German commerce raider SMS Wolf during World War 1. This time I explored an area forward stern in crystal clear visibility.
Exploring the world-war 1, SS Worcestershire (1917) - 57m
16/03/2018 - My second dive to the World War 1 seamine casualty SS Worcestershire this season. This time I explored an area from midships to the bridge. Conditions and the marine life was just great.
Sri Lanka Sub-Aqua club day trip to dive historical wrecks in the Galle Harbour with MAU
03/03/2018 - With the help of the Maritime Archaeological Unit in Galle, the Sri Lanka Sub-Aqua club organized a special trip to the Galle Harbour. Around 15 club divers dived the SS Malabar and another mystery iron wreck (Iron Wreck 2) in the harbour. The dives were lead by Marine Archaeologist Rasika Muthucumarana.
February Report - New sites in Bentota and Kosgoa
Sri Lanka Sub-Aqua club day trip
25/02/2018 - The Sri Lanka Sub-Aqua Club, the largest and the leading Scuba Diving club in Sri Lanka organized a day trip for it's members recently. The divers explored "Snapper" in Bentota and "K2" in Kosgoda amidst great visibility.
The delighful and mysterious Colombo Wallet Wreck
10/02/2018 - A dive to the delighful and mysterious Wallet Wreck off Colombo
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Dharshana Jayawardena is a leading Sri Lankan Underwater photographer, a wreckographer and Welcomes you to Sri Lanka! It is the best location in the Indian Ocean to Scuba Dive in the warm tropical seas and wonderful beaches. Sri Lanka offers some great Wreck Diving experiences such as the H.M.S Hermes, SS Rangoon, H.M.S Conch, The Earl Of Shaftsbury, H.M.S Diomede, and some Surat Silver Coin wrecks at the Great Basses & Little Basses Lighthouses off Kirinda and Yala. Sri Lanka offers many courses such as PADI Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, Dive Master but yet to offer NAUI, PSAI, TDI, SDI, Nitrox, Trimix, Heliox, Solo Diving Technical Dive Courses or Liveaboard Diving. Shore diving is a possibility. Sri Lanka also is famous for whale migration, dolphin watching and very occasionally for sightings of Tiger Shark, Black Tip Reef Shark, White Tip Reef Shark, Manta Rays. Reef fish such as Moray Eels, Puffer Fish (Fugu), giant turtle, Lionfish, Snappers, Sweetlips, Trevally, Barracuda, Fusiliers, Anemonefish are very very common. Some dive sites are better than Maldives, The H.M.S Hermes is a fantastic and exciting dive in Batticaloa. The H.M.S Vampire which accompanied the H.M.S Hermes is yet to be found. Surat Silver Coin treasure was found by Sir Arthur C. Clarke and Mike Wilson at the Great Basses Ridge. The coins were minted by Aurenzeb, the son of Shah Jehan who built the Mumtas Mahal (Taj Mahal). There are also wrecks of Japanese Zeros in the China Bay and Marble Beach area. The statue of lord ganesh can be seen at the Swami Rock dive in Trincomalee. pigeon Island in Trincomalee is also famous for great diving and snorkeling. This site features original photos and stock photography of the ocean and the under sea. You will also be surprised abou the diving opportunaties in Colombo. Colombo diving and colombo wreck diving is some of the best wrecks in the world
