© 2023 Dr Margaret Sheppard

Water Sports

Increasingly there are opportunities for Sri Lankans in occupations associated with water sports. Wind Surfing, body boarding, surfing, scuba diving and snorkelling are all available from various beach destinations  all around the island at different times of the year according to the monsoon - Western Coast December to March approx. and from Eastern coastal resorts April to October approx.

These water sports activities support a wide range of jobs and employment e.g. Dive Instructors and Divemasters,  boatmen, guides, equipment hire and maintenance, all levels of hospitality and accommodation etc.

Scuba Diving

There are now many locally owned and run diving centres  around the Coasts, and Sri Lankans have trained as  PADI (and other internationally recognised standards) Divemasters and Instructors. They provide dive guiding for qualified divers as well as training to for the various qualifications. Each dive centre provides employment not just for the diving staff but also all aspects of the various support jobs - boatmen, centre cleaners,  etc. Many of the present dive masters started out as dive centre support workers and then have been trained up as divemasters as this popular sport and opportunities  have expanded.

 You Tube Video Links:

Galapitagala Reef Scuba Dive, Unawatuna, Sri Lanka

https://youtu.be/7JPQ3ZLKRWY

Galapitagala Reef Scuba Dive 2, Unawatuna, Sri Lanka

https://youtu.be/LHise8s8H-w

Scuba Diving at Batticaloa

https://youtu.be/Avl7b5NxMVA

Scuba-Diving Cockroach Reacts to Fish? - Tango Wreck, Galle Bay, Sri Lanka

https://youtu.be/ldECjfw4GxY

Beginners PADI Diving basic skills class in a hotel pool -

Then off to the deep!

Exploring rocky canyon as many fish gather in these

Divemaster carefully showing sea life

Descents and  Ascents from dive boat may be on the boat’s anchor rope, especially if there is a current.

Lion fish

Beautiful coral reef shoal

Avoid touching the reef!

Fish shoal, feed and shelter in the shelter of the rocks

Keep your distance as poisonous!

Fan coral

Parrot  fish feed  on the coral growths

Lobster

More coral reef beauties!

Sea cucumber?

Being joined by a turtle on a dive is relatively common as they feed amongst the rocky reefs. In season they come ashore to lay their eggs above the tide line in the sand on many of the Island’s sheltered beaches. They are a protected species.

There is a turtle hatchery along the South West Coast open to tourists, and in Hambantota District night time turtle watching trips are arranged for tourists by local guides in the turtle conservancy area. The Conservancy guides supervise responsible viewing as the turtles come ashore, climb the dunes and lay and bury their eggs. Later the hatching baby turtles may be viewed in their race to the sea, avoiding predators.

(They also protect the eggs from poachers.)