Into the blue
View(s):This week on Take 3, we’re heading out to sea. Sri Lanka offers some world class diving with wrecks and reefs that will make your dive an experience to remember but centres here are also arguing for greater conservation efforts to help preserve some of this threatened marine diversity. Here’s what you need to know.
Island Scuba | La Voile Blanche, 43/10, Beach Road, Mount Lavinia | Email: dive@islandscuba.net
Tel: 077 764 8131
Web : www.islandscuba.net
According to Island Scuba’s Naren Gunasekera, Colombo offers some of the best diving in Sri Lanka. The coastline is dotted with wrecks, but since many lie below 20m it tends to be the province of the more experienced divers. However, Naren and his partner Nishan Perera would like to see you get to that level. It’s why he recommends the 4 day Open Water Dive Course (Rs. 52,000) over their Scuba Diver Course (Rs. 37,000) – the latter confines you to diving with a PADI professional and to only 12 metres. “Nishan and I are quite passionate about encouraging people continuing to dive and experience the underwater world rather than just doing it for a couple of days and never doing it again,” he says.
Island Scuba likes to focus on small groups with a maximum of six divers. The PADI dive resort offers daily dive trips and a variety of dive courses including the Wreck Diver and the Deep Diver (both costing Rs.28,500). A ‘Bubblemaker’ course (Rs.6000) keeps kids in the pool but teaches them a few good skills. A two tank dive for a certified diver costs Rs.9, 500. Prices vary for foreigners but most include all rental equipment, manuals and certification fees. Their dive boat is also the only Navy registered dive boat in Colombo. The West Coast season typically runs from November – April.
What Island Scuba has going for them is an experienced and highly qualified staff whose academic and professional interests include marine biology and environmental science, conservation, underwater photography and videography. One of them – Nicolo Rolanda who has a degree in Biology from the University of Milan – even speaks five languages. (Reassuringly, they’re all trained in first aid and CPR and carry emergency oxygen along on expeditions.) Island Scuba takes pride in promoting marine conservation, and their team is actively involved in research and conservation activities. They’ve also been behind their fair share of beach and reef clean ups, alongside participating in educational activities and training workshops for local communities, students and government officials.
International Diving Centre
Coral Sands Hotel, Hikkaduwa,
E-mail: info@idc.lk
Tel: 0722 231683
Web: www.idc.lk
This ‘family run operation’ in Hikkaduwa offers divers a choice of some 12 dive sites within 20 minutes of a boat ride from the centre. This includes the wreck of the Conch oil tanker and the 19th century Earl of Shaftesbury which went down in 1893. R.K Somadasa de Silva (a.k.a Somey is the school’s director and a professional diver with over 30 years of experience. They operate out of both Hikkaduwa and Trincomalee. The latter offers healthy coral reefs and a lot of tropical fish – perfect in particular for underwater photographs and beginners, since most dive sites are shallow with a maximum depth of 15 metres and the visibility is on most days very good. Nearby Pigeon Island with its blacktip reef sharks also makes for a wonderful diving experience.
Hikka, they say is all about the shipwrecks, deep diving, coral reefs, good snorkelling but here most of the interesting dives are below 18m. “Some of our staff has been working in the diving industry in Hikkaduwa now above 20 years, so they know every stone, every crack, every coral and every fish by name,” says a diver with the school. On the fun side, as the only SNUBA (a mix of scuba and snorkelling) diving centre in Sri Lanka they partner with Mangoose Adventures to offer pool training plus an open water dive for US$ 60. Their Wreck Diver and Underwater Photographer programmes are both priced at US$ 210 dollars while you can take a 3- 4 day Open Water Course for US$ 425.
The Centre has an interesting coral restoration project which involves a thriving reef made from special concrete blocks, ‘planted’ with coral. Ask to visit if you’re interested.
Unawatuna Dive and Whale Watching Centre
Riddem, Peellagoda, Unawatuna.
Tel: 77 790 3430
Email: info@unawatunadive.com
Web: www.unawatunadive.com
A small Sri Lankan owned and operated dive school located beside the gorgeous Unawatuna bay, the Centre is run by Sumith Wijesena who has over 22 years diving experience. He’s supported by a team of nine, most of whom are certified divers. They offer several services: certified divers can head out on land dives, boat dives, two tank dives and night boat dives for prices ranging from £20 – £45 that includes equipment. Also on offer are courses like the Scuba Diver (180) and the Open Water Diver (£300), with specialised courses such as the Deep Diver and the Wreck Diver (both £200, excluding equipment) and the Underwater Photography course (£150 also available). Sumith says locals are guaranteed a 15% discount on these rates.
Among their favourite dive sites are several ship wrecks including the Rangoon, Ralagala Galle Ship and No Name wrecks, as well as Jungle Beach and Talpe Reef. Aside from diving, the Centre also offers snorkelling, kayaking, fishing, boat tours, whale and dolphin watching, jet skis and water skiing. Most tempting is the offer of a daily private boat rental with your own captain – hop from beach to beach or just drop your anchor off some secluded stretch and go for a swim in turquoise waters.
Fifteen per cent of their boat profits go to the Dog Care Clinic, a charity in Mihirpenna, Thalpe.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus