The British Sergeant - Trincomalee & East Coast
The British Sergeant is a solid wreck dive off Trincomalee, an honest wartime casualty from 1942. We've always found it a pretty approachable wreck, settling at 26 meters, making it a good choice for divers new to deeper wrecks without being overwhelming. The ship broke into two distinct sections during its sinking, so you can clearly make out the bow and stern, which is a nice feature for navigation and exploring. The real draw here is the cavern amidships; it’s genuinely impressive, a huge space that gives you a real sense of the ship’s scale. It’s not about spotting rare creatures, but more about the history and the sheer bulk of the vessel itself.
- Location
- Trincomalee & East Coast, Sri Lanka, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- 8.566667, 81.283330
- Maximum Depth
- 26M
Marine Protected Area: Little Sober Island
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)
- 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)
Nearest Dive Centres to The British Sergeant
- 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 The British Sergeant
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