30 min by road and boat
Pigeon Island snorkelling
A protected marine park with coral gardens, reef fish and, often, blacktip reef sharks in the shallows.
Some photos via Wikimedia Commons: Mishen D.Perera, CC BY-SA 4.0; Diluckshan Puviraj, CC BY-SA 4.0; Alexey Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0; Uthpala97, CC BY-SA 4.0
What to expect
Pigeon Island National Park is a small pair of islands off Nilaveli, protected for its coral reef. Boats leave from Nilaveli beach for the short crossing, and the snorkelling starts a few steps from the shore.
Expect bright reef fish, turtles on a lucky day and, often, small blacktip reef sharks cruising the shallows.