Passikudah Reef

Passikudah Bay's protected shallow lagoon gives way to a series of coral reef formations just outside the bay mouth, where the bottom drops from 5 metres to a rubble slope at 25 metres studded with coral bommies and isolated patch reefs. This is one of Sri Lanka's least-dived recreational reef systems, receiving only a fraction of the diver traffic that Pigeon Island to the north attracts, and the resulting absence of pressure is visible in the fish life — large Napoleon wrasse, schools of sweetlips, and patrolling reef whitetip sharks all encountered on a single dive are not unusual. The site rewards slow, patient exploration and offers excellent snorkelling on the bay's inner reef for non-divers.