Time to head east

The Southwest Monsoon has set in on the west coast so its time to head over to the east coast. Looking forward to a season of discovering some new dive sites. With more areas opening up its time to explore the fringing reefs between Trincomalee and Batticaloa.

Far Away in the Andamans

Located nearly 900 km east of India the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are some of the few remaining unexplored islands in the world. Rain forests, mangroves, and pristine beaches above water contrast with rocky pinnacles, coral reefs and thousands of fish. Some islands are inhabited by indigenous tribes that have little to no contact with the outside world. Havelock Island is one of the few islands open to and developed for tourism and is the main gateway for scuba diving in the Andamans. Around Havelock, reefs teem with marine life. From colorful soft corals and clouds of anthias, to multihued reef fish, large groupers and napolean wrasses to schools of barracuda and trevally. Get away from the chaos of mass tourism, get away from the chaos of cities and a million people, get away to the Andaman Islands where life moves at the pace you want it to.

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. 

Worm dance

Polyclad flatworms closely resemble nudibranchs in external appearance. The main distinguishing characteristic is the absence of external gills that are found on nudibranchs. This species is known for its free swimming behavior that makes it appear as if it is dancing in the water. It will actively swim in the water column to move from part of the reef to another. The worm dance may be a popular break dance move but flatworms give it a whole new meaning!

Angelface

Close up of a semicircle angelfish (Pomacanthus semicirculatus). This species is common on coral and rocky reefs in Sri Lanka, being most common on reefs with ledges and caves, as well as shipwrecks. Large angelfish are territorial, and males tend to defend a harem of several females. They are capable of making a loud clicking or thudding noise with their swimbladders and it is not uncommon for divers to hear this if a large angelfish is disturbed. Angelfish posses a cheek spine, as is visible in this photograph. This is the main distinguishing characteristic between angelfish and the closely related butterflyfish that do not posses such a spine.

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.

Dhigu Thila, Maldives

Dhigu Thila is a narrow submerged ridge located on the eastern side of Baa Atoll in the Maldives. Dhigu means long in Divehi, the local language, and is an apt name for this reef. Although many of the corals on the shallow reef top are dead, undoubtedly as a result of coral bleaching, there is a profusion of small fish such as anthias and damselfish. The sides of the reef drop away sharply to a sandy floor at a depth of around 35m, where resting white tip reef sharks can sometimes be seen. The steep reef walls have sea fans, black corals and an extensive labyrinth of caves and ledges that provide shelter to larger fish such as moray eels and groupers. At dusk, schools of feeding trevally pass over the reef, picking at smaller fish in dazzling displays of speed.