Bar Reef
Protected Area
Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary
Why dive here
With 254+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, dolphins, sea turtles, sperm whales and spinner dolphins - Bar Reef offers some of Trincomalee & East Coast's richest reef diving. Water ranges 27-30°C, warmest April, May, October.
Bar Reef off Trincomalee is a sprawling coral system, a nice change of pace from some of the smaller, shallower sites along the coast. We've often found good numbers of larger reef fish here, like Red Emperors and Spotted Groupers, patrolling among the Staghorn coral. Look closely for Blue-dash Butterflyfish darting through the branches. The currents can pick up sometimes, so it's best for divers comfortable drifting a little, especially in the later part of the season. It’s a solid dive for getting a feel for Sri Lanka’s wider reef ecosystems.
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Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Bar Reef
Bar Reef Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Bar Reef, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (8.53, 81.23) (31km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
30°C
85°F · Range: 27.5–30.3°C
Air Temperature
27°C
81°F
Wind Speed
4.73 m/s
9.2 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1009 hPa
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data
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