Pigeon Island National Park

Pigeon Island is a granite outcrop with a fringing reef a kilometre off the Nilaveli coast, named for the rock pigeons that breed on it, declared a sanctuary in 1963 and made a national park in 2003, one of three marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The park covers about 470 hectares, and the larger of its two islands is some 200 metres long and 45 metres high. The reef holds hard coral, reef fish in numbers and blacktip reef sharks that cruise the shallows close enough to see while standing. It is one of the few places in Sri Lanka where reef snorkelling is straightforward, and consequently it is very heavily used.

The landscape

• The blacktip reef sharks - small sharks in the shallows, visible from waist depth.
• The fringing reef - hard coral and reef fish around the island.
• The rock pigeons - the breeding colony the island is named for.
• The granite outcrop - the island itself with a beach on the landward side.

When to go

April to September is the season on the east coast, when the sea is calm. The northeast monsoon from October to March closes it. Early morning boats avoid the worst crowds.

What to expect

Visitor pressure has damaged the reef badly: coral is broken by people standing on it and bleaching has hit it hard. Boat numbers are capped but the beach is still crowded. Reef shoes and not touching anything matter.

Nearby

Nilaveli is on the mainland opposite, and Trincomalee is south.

Key facts