Pigeon Island National Park, Nilaveli, Trincomalee

06/09/2013 - A dozen members from the The Sri Lanka Sub Aqua Club, only active SCUBA diving club in Sri Lanka, conducted a reef cleanup operation which was sponsored by the Nilaveli Beach Hotel and the Ypsylon Dive Center.

Two dives were conducted, each over one hour. The divers swept the environs of the island clock wise on an East to North West arc and speared and collected 181 Crown Of Thorns (the target had been 60).

Crown of Thorns are a scourge to a Coral Reef. This starfish hugs the coral with its belly and sucks in the coral into its stomach leaving a trail of destruction across the reef. An outbreak can be devastating to a healthy coral reef. Based on several reports by the Ypsylon Dive Center and at the request of the Nilaveli Beach Hotel, the Sub Aqua Club Decided to dispatch a team of Scuba Divers to clean up as many as possible starfish.

The Crown of Thorn starfish can also be dangerous to divers. Any contact or injury from the spikes can lead to very unpleasant consequences. As such great care was taken when removing the starfish from the environment which resulted in zero casualties to the club.

Good news was that the surrounding coral reef looked quite healthy. Also the presence of more sharks than before was a good indicator of the health of the reef. Thus, it is hoped by all involved that the removal of these starfish would contribute to increased health of the reef.