Bar Reef - Trincomalee & East Coast
Bar Reef is a solid choice when diving Trincomalee. We usually find the best conditions here in the morning, before the afternoon breeze picks up, making for a smoother ride out. The reef itself offers a good mix of coral structures, plenty of staghorn, with schools of fusiliers often hanging above the bommies. Keep an eye out for the butterflyfish, we've seen a few different types here – Black Pyramid and Racoon often make an appearance. It's a comfortable dive, good for getting your fins wet and shaking off any travel rust.
- Location
- Trincomalee & East Coast, Sri Lanka, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- 8.367323, 79.746346
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary
Best Time to Dive in Trincomalee & East Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Trincomalee & East Coast occur in January, averaging 27.4°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.4°C (air: 25.8°C)
- February: 27.4°C (air: 26.3°C)
- March: 27.4°C (air: 27.3°C)
- April: 27.4°C (air: 28.2°C)
- May: 27.4°C (air: 28.9°C)
- June: 27.4°C (air: 29.6°C)
- July: 27.4°C (air: 29.4°C)
- August: 27.4°C (air: 28.9°C)
- September: 27.4°C (air: 28.7°C)
- October: 27.4°C (air: 27.2°C)
- November: 27.4°C (air: 26.0°C)
- December: 27.4°C (air: 25.9°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Trincomalee & East Coast
- Angel Diving Center
- Bar Reef (reef)
- BRITISH SERGEANT - 20m (wreck)
- CITY OF MARSEILLES (POSSIBLY) - 6m (wreck)
- CITY OF MYSORE - 5m (wreck)
- Coffin Ray Point
- Condolidated Catalina PBY-5A Aircraft Wreck - 42m (wreck)
- CORDIALITY - 14m (wreck)
- Fort Frederic - 18m (reef)
- HMAS VAMPIRE - 50m (wreck)
- HMS DIOMEDE - 22m (wreck)
- HMS Hermes - 48-55m (wreck)
- HMS Hermes (wreck)
- HMS HOLLYHOCK - 60m (wreck)
- Irrankandy ship wreck (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Bar Reef
- Coco Diving Trincomalee - ["PADI"]
- Dive For You - ["PADI"]
- Epic Ocean Adventures - ["PADI"]
- International Diving School Trincomalee - ["PADI"]
- Poseidon Diving Centre - ["PADI"]
- Sri Lanka Dive School
Marine Life in Trincomalee & East Coast
Home to 259 recorded species including 205 reef fish, 16 hard corals, 14 sea snails & nudibranchs, 7 sharks & rays, 6 seagrass & algae, 5 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) - Reef Fish
- Big-eye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus) - Reef Fish
- cloth-of-gold cone snail (Conus textile) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Jack (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Silver Sillago (Sillago sihama) - Reef Fish
- Red lionfish (Pterois miles) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- Bicolor Blenny (Ecsenius bicolor) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Stethojulis interrupta) - Reef Fish
- Small-eyed Squirrelfish (Myripristis murdjan) - Reef Fish
- Necklace Cone (Conus monile) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Manini (Acanthurus triostegus) - Reef Fish
- Spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus) - Reef Fish
- Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum) - Reef Fish
- Five-lined snapper (Lutjanus quinquelineatus) - Reef Fish
- Herring Scad (Alepes vari) - Reef Fish
- Dusky Wrasse (Halichoeres marginatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue and Gold Fusilier (Caesio caerulaurea) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Bar Reef
Based on average water temperature of 27.4°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories