The 11 Snorkeling Trips in Trincomalee We Would Take Again

1.Whales Watching and Navy Island Snorkeling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 81 reviews · 5 hours · from $84Our pick

Start with tea or coffee at Trinco Bay Dive Center, then head offshore for blue whales, sperm whales, fin whales, and spinner dolphins. After fruit and refreshments, snorkel at Navy Island with a guide, calm water, coral, fish, and possible turtles. Equipment and underwater photos are included.

“Absolutely loved this snorkeling trip with Trinco bay dive center! We went to Navy Island, and the experience was amazing. The water was so clear, and I got to see turtles, beautiful coral reefs, and lots of colorful fish. The whole area is stunning and peaceful both above and below the surface. Everything was well organized and felt very safe. A great activity if you’re in Trincomalee and love the ocean!”

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2.Snorkeling at Pigeon Island

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 66 reviews · from $42

Spend about three hours snorkeling around Pigeon Island National Park, roughly 3 km from the beach. A small group of no more than seven takes a round-trip boat, uses supplied masks and fins, and explores designated waters filled with coral, parrotfish, eels, boxfish, and damselfish. Check the entrance-fee details carefully before booking.

“Booked at the last minute and it turned out I was the only one on the boat from the location south of Nilaveli… a restaurant on the beach. The trip to Pigeon Island was a 10 min hop.”

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3.From Uppuveli Beach: Pigeon Island Snorkeling Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 58 reviews · 3 hours · from $50

Meet at Trinco Bay Dive Center near Uppuveli Beach, then take a 30-minute boat ride to Pigeon Island. A professional guide leads you through clear water among coral, tropical fish, turtles, and Black Tip Reef Sharks. The tour lasts about three hours and includes gear, transfers, snacks, and water, but not the LKR 13,000 park fee.

“good guide, lead us around the island with attentiveness to ensuring we saw marine life. the guide pointed out loads of different fish, 2 sharks & a turtle, and maintained a respectful distance to the animals (unlike some other tours). would be great to have a bit more time to snorkel around the island, as we felt a bit rushed both times we went in the water. thankfully we were able to go back in the water on our own after the first initial guided part, but only for about 45 minutes. maybe a bit expensive, might be worth looking into ferries if your not bothered about being guided around…”

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4.Snorkeling Trip To Pigeon Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 38 reviews · 3 hours · from $17

Meet at Pigeon Island Tours, collect your mask, fins, safety jacket, and water, then take a shared boat to Pigeon Island Marine National Park. You spend about three hours swimming independently among corals, reef fish, turtles, and possible blacktip reef sharks. No snorkeling guide is included, and park admission costs extra.

“We arrived to a small hut where the leader of the activity gave us all the equipment and a bottle of water each. We then went by boat to the island, where we saw sharks, a turtle, various colourful fish. The corals were mostly dead, however it was expected due to the prior natural disasters. Some corals were alive and vivid. This experience in general is great at offering the equipment (snorkels, masks, fins, the boat ride to the island), but travelling to and from the activity is not offered (which was said in the description). Overall, we were very pleased with the experience and it was definitely worth the…”

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5.Snorkeling Trip to Pigeon Island

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $42Top rated

Meet Divinguru Nilaveli at 1:30 pm for a short boat ride to Pigeon Island Marine Park. You will snorkel from the shore for two to three hours among hard corals, reef fish, eels, and possible turtles or Blacktip Reef Sharks. Gear, snacks, water, and pickup options are available.

“A nice day to snorkel, my family and I were picked up at our hotel by a Tuktuk (who also brought us back in the late afternoon)!”

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6.Pigeon Island Snorkeling – Swim with Sharks & Turtles

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 13 reviews · from $16Best value

Meet Pigeon Island Tours in Nilaveli for a roughly three-hour boat trip to Pigeon Island National Park. Snorkel among coral, eels, parrotfish, butterflyfish, rays, turtles, and possible blacktip reef sharks. Equipment, a return boat, and safety gear are included, but the park ticket costs extra.

“Had a great experience with this tour. Highly recommend to anyone who is looking to explore the beautiful pigeon island”

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7.Pigeon Island Snorkeling Tour From Uppuveli Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · from $50

Meet at Trinco Bay Dive Center at 8:30 am for a three to four-hour boat trip to Pigeon Island National Park. Your guide provides equipment, safety help, snacks, and water while you snorkel around coral, turtles, tropical fish, and Black Tip Reef Sharks. Boats carry no more than seven people, but several boats may share the same beach and route.

“Great guide & friendly crew. Lovely to see coral growing and so much sea life. Wonderful green turtles and black tip reef sharks of all sizes.”

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8.Snorkeling in Trincomalee

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $57

Spend two hours snorkeling off Trincomalee with an English or Sinhala-speaking instructor, a boat ride, safety gear, training, and photos included. The small group is limited to eight people, giving you personal guidance around rock pools, reefs, colorful fish, and other sea life. The meeting point deserves careful checking before you go.

“The snorkeling was very good. Really nice instructors and they really cared abzublühen needs and took every request serious. We felt really safe and well guided. Full recommendation!”

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9.Snorkeling Trip To Angel Rock

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 1.5 - 2 hours · from $22

From Pigeon Island Tours near Nilaveli Beach, take a 15-minute speedboat to Angel Rock for 1.5 hours of snorkeling. Equipment and return boat transport are included. You may see live coral, colorful fish, turtles, and black tip reef sharks, but sightings depend on sea conditions.

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10.pigeon island tour + snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 4 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $45

You’ll travel by boat from Trincomalee Beach or Nilaveli Beach to the waters around Pigeon Island, using a GPS-equipped boat to find good snorkeling areas. Expect fish, coral, and a chance to see sea turtles, followed by a swim stop and return to Nilaveli Beach. Delon is the booking contact, with English, Sinhala, and Tamil support.

“Nice service provider The trip is amazing and the arrangement is good We can see the sea turtle when snorkelling”

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11.Snorkeling in Trincomalee

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $50

Join a small group of up to six for about two hours of snorkeling from Trincomalee. Equipment is included, and you may see colorful fish, coral, rock pools, and possibly turtles. The trip ends at the starting point. The exact site can vary, so confirm whether an island visit is included before booking.

“Nice to be snorkelling in the sea and the diving instructors were nice and friendly but trip was not as described. Was told it was 2 hour tour. It lasted 2 hours but we only visited a rock pool and did not visit coral island or pigeon island as it states on trip description. There were no turtles at the location.”

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