Pigeon Island National Park
Pigeon Island National Park is one of the two marine national parks in Sri Lanka, consisting of two islands situated a kilometre off the coast of Nilaveli. It encompasses an area of 417.429 hectares and contains some of the best remaining coral reefs in the country. Named after the rock pigeon that has colonised it, the islands were designated as a national park in 2003.
These islands also have a history of being used as shooting practice grounds during the colonial era. Located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, the two islands of Pigeon Island National Park are referred to as the large pigeon island and the small pigeon island. The large pigeon island is about 200 metres long and 100 metres wide, fringed by a coral reef, while the small pigeon island is surrounded by rocky islets and coral reefs. The ideal time to visit the park is during the dry weather from April to September, as most of the rain falls during the northeastern monsoon from October to March.
The coral reefs around the islands are dominated by species such as Acropora, Montipora, Faviidae, Mussidae, and Poritidae, with soft corals also recorded. The reef is home to many aquatic species, both vertebrates and invertebrates, with over 100 species of corals and 300 species of reef fish documented in the vicinity of the park. Other aquatic animals, including blacktip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, and olive ridley turtles, are also known to frequent the reef. The park is an ideal spot for scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, boat rides, and sightseeing.