Anguru Newa

The newest ship on the growing list of wreck dives around Colombo. After stories from fishermen and inaccurate coordinates the ship was finally dived in late January by Dharshana Jayawarden who posted a report on DiveSriLanka, and in February I had a chance to check it out myself. While not as visually appealing or awe inspiring as the popular Cargo Wreck or Medhufaru wreck in Colombo this is a fun dive in its own right. The ship is broken into two pieces with the stern and bow lying about 40m away from each other. But the intact sections provide a haven for marine life with schooling snappers, large porcupinefish, angelfish, sweetlips and a variety of other reef dwellers. Black corals adorn the sides of the ship and thousands of anthias and damselfish swarm around the top like butterflies. With a maximum depth of 26m this is an easy relaxed dive with plenty of photo opportunities.

A walk in the park

Jezeem joins the resident bannerfish for a Sunday afternoon stroll around the Medhufaru wreck off Ratmalana.

Medhufaru

In February we dive the wreck of 'Medhufaru', a Maldivian ship sunk off Mt. Lavinia in 2009. In less than two years the wreck has become an oasis for marine life. Thousands of fusiliers school around the wreck while colorful reef fish swim around like marine butterflies. In its death, the ship has given life to the ocean. What was once a symbol of industry and engineering is now a piece of living art, providing sustenance to fishermen and enjoyment to divers. 

Back to Cargo Wreck

We never get enough of the Cargo Wreck. Just 20 minutes boat ride away its got to be one of the best wreck dives in Sri Lanka. Whether you are a tech diver looking for a wreck to penetrate or just a casual diver looking for a fish filled dive the Cargo Wreck ticks all the boxes. With everything from resident pipefish and marble rays to visiting eagle rays and tuna there is something to see no matter what the sea conditions or visibility is like. After hundreds of dives here I'm still not tired. In fact, the more you get to know the wreck the more enjoyable it seems to become.

Boiler Wreck

The 'Boiler Wreck' is in fact the wreckage of two separate ships whose identity remains unknown, possibly because very little effort has been made to investigate them. With the aura of the HMS Hermes, all other wrecks around Batticaloa are easily overlooked by most divers. But this is a great dive site with large boilers from the steam driven engines, propellors and scattered bits of wrecked metal overgrown in coral. The wrecks are located just south of the Kalladi lighthouse, and sit on the shallow reef running parallel to the shore. Both the wreck and the reef provide a habitat for  a variety of hard corals and interesting fish and macro life. A resident school of yellow lined goatfish hang out near the bow while colorful tropicals such as angelfish and butterflyfish glide among the corals. Look closely and you will find tiny porcelain crabs within the coral heads and colorful nudibranchs among the rubble. Lizardfish, sand perches, gobies and blennies compete for attention from critter fans. Most of the reef and wreck lies within a depth range of 5-8m, with a maximum depth of only 10m. So this is an ideal site for new divers to explore an interesting wreck or for experienced divers to off gas after diving the Hermes or deeper reefs further offshore.

Batticaloa Blues

After a two year break I returned to the wreck of the 'HMS Hermes' off Batticaloa. Calm seas and an absence of any wind foretold of good diving conditions, and good conditions they were for sure. Almost no currents and gin clear blue water bathed in sunlight. Drifting in open water felt like being an astronaut in space with nothing below, around or above other than vast blue emptiness and shafts of light that seemed to penetrate as deep as my eyes could see. The ocean had given me a "moment". Nirvana could surely not be much better than this!

Where angels dwell

The ancient Greeks referred to Sri Lanka as Taprobane, meaning "garden of delights". Lying on white coral sand on the edge of Taprobane East reef this small wreck is a veritable garden of delights covered in soft corals. The wreck is also home to a multitude of fish life from thousands of glassfish that shelter among the tangled metal to schooling snappers, angelfish, butterflyfish, groupers and even a large humphead wrasse. Far from the shores of Colombo, clear water is the norm here with average visibility around 25m during the calm season. If angels lived underwater they would surely call this home. Maybe the mermaids do..............

Fantasy wreck

In search of the Battery Barge

After a one hour boat ride we scan the seabed with an echo sounder but cannot find anything except an empty expanse of sand. We have nothing but an obscure GPS point obtained from a fisherman. We drop anchor and after some time it snags on something. Its either the wreck we are looking for or a deep reef. Trusting our instincts we enter the water and descend in a heavy current. It takes nearly 8 minutes to reach the bottom 45 meters below the surface, but finally, in front of us is a small wreck sitting upright on a sandy floor. This is the Battery Barge. Known only to a few and the reason for our curiosity. Time is limited. We have only 5 minutes on the wreck as we have not planned for long decompression stops. The objective is to confirm the presence of the wreck and evaluate its potential for future photography and exploration. At this depth and fighting against the stiff current we feel the effect of nitrogen narcosis. Simple tasks such as focusing the camera and adjusting a strobe take more effort and concentration than usual. 

The wreck is broken into two parts. Its entire length covered in colourful soft coral and sea fans. Black coral bushes sway in the current as cardinalfish dart among the corals. A few small groupers are on the hunt and four large lionfish hover motionless in an attempt to ambush an unwary fish. All around, a school of snappers zig zag the wreck like rush hour traffic. Despite its small size the barge is an oasis of life in a vast sandy desert. If only we had a bit more time.............

Boat ride in Graceland

Just off the coast of  Colombo the intact wreck of a cargo ship is home to a large and friendly marble ray nicknamed 'Elvis'. In recent times its been seen together with another large ray who predictably earned the name 'Priscilla'. At a maximum depth of 32m this is one of the best wreck dives in Sri Lanka. Easy penetration, colorful corals and abundant fish life mean there is always something to see and explore. Everything from damselfish and electric rays to eagle rays, dolphins and even whales have been seen in the area. I found this lifeboat resting on the sand particularly interesting. A means of escape and symbol of hope on a sinking ship now resting on the seabed and sustaining the lives of marine animals.