Saturday 31 December 2016

Aluth Gala and NO NAME WRECK, Unawatuna Dives - Sri Lanka

Dive date: 31st Dec 2016


Dive numbers 16 and then 12

Dive 1
NO NAME WRECK
Dive time: 39 minutes
Depth: 25 metres
Temp: 28 degrees C
Visibility: 5-10 metres

 

 

 

Dive 2
Aluth Gala
Dive time: 43 minutes
Depth: 21.6 metres
Temp: 28 degrees C
Visibility: 10-15 metres







Monday 26 December 2016

SS Conch and Earl of Shaftesbury Wreck Dives, Hikkaduwa - Sri Lanka

Dive date: 26th Dec 2016


Dive 1
Conch SS
Dive time:53 mins
Depth:21 m
Temp: 28 degrees C
Visibility:5-10 metres

The website Sri Lanka Archaeology has lots of in-depth information on the SS Conch.  It was an iron oil tanker which sank in 1903.  It was a really nice dive site which also offered a nice cave-like swim-through.



 

 




Ripples in the sand
Propeller



Anchor


 
Ribs of the hull clearly seen in this video.

 

Butterflyfish

Angelfish

Nudibranch




Dive 2
Earl of Shaftesbury 
Dive time:53 mins
Depth:14 m
Temp:  degrees C
Visibility: 5-10 metres

The four masted iron sail ship Earl of Shaftesbury capsized and sunk in May 1893 not far from the SS Conch.  It was constructed in the shipyeard of Ramage and Ferguson in Leith, Scotland.  It was en route to the Diamond Island from Bombay when it met its fate near Akurala-Hikkaduwa.  It weighed 2100 tons and was 85 metres long, 13 metres wide and 7 metres in height.  It now lies on a flat sandy terrain at a depth of around 15 meters.  The hull of the ship can still be clearly identified along with some of its masts and sides of the cabin.

I saw lots of really beautiful nudibranchs at this dive site.  There were also plenty of colourful reef fish.











Anchor



 




 


Yasmin and Kemal




Sunday 25 December 2016

Kirala Gala, Kikkaduwa - Sri Lanka

Christmas day diving in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka! No better Christmas present!

Dive date: 25th Dec 2016
Dive time: 31 min
Depth: 32.6 m
Temp: 28 C

Visibility: 









Just outside the dive centre, right on the shoreline, four green turtles were feeding.  Lots of people were gathered round to have a look.