Snorkeling near Hiriketiya and Dikwella, seven places

The nearest places to snorkel from Hiriketiya are the calm bays of Dikwella, a few minutes away by road, where you walk in from the sand with a mask. The clearest water is usually from about December to April, and the early morning is often the best hour.

When is the sea right for snorkeling here?

The south coast has two moods. From about December to April the sea is usually calmer. From about May to September the south-west monsoon brings swell and wind, and the water turns cloudy, so in those months swim only on calm days. One hotel on Dikwella beach counts the calm months from October.

The day matters as much as the month. Flat water is clear water. If waves are breaking over the reef or against the rocks, leave the mask in the bag. Many snorkellers go early, before the wind gets up.

Most beaches on this coast have no lifeguard, and currents change through the year. Ask someone local before you swim in a place you do not know. That is also the advice of official travel pages for Sri Lanka.

Where can you snorkel near Hiriketiya and Dikwella?

*This guide is written by Ohana. We are on the list, and we say where we think we fit.*

• 1. Turtle Beach, also called Turtle Point, Batheegama (our bay). A calm, round bay with a reef on the horizon, less than five minutes by road from Hiriketiya. The two names are for the same bay. Wild sea turtles often feed here, many times only a few metres from the beach, and we see them most early in the morning and at sunset. The reef has many small fish and some big ones. You walk in where the sand is clear, because sea urchins live near the rocks. This is where we fit: a gentle place for families and for people who snorkel for the first time. We lend masks free, in children's sizes too, ask at the bar. If you want a boat, a guide and deeper reef, other places on this list suit better. See Turtle Beach in Dikwella.
• 2. Hiriketiya bay. The bay is known for surf, and a turtle sometimes swims through. Guided snorkel trips by boat leave from the beach, with mask, snorkel and fins included. It suits people who want a guide and a boat. From the sand, with boards in the water, it is more luck than plan.
• 3. Dikwella beach, beside the rocks. A family hotel on the town beach tells its guests to swim out alongside the rocks, keeping away from them, to see some coral and shoals of small reef fish. It suits confident swimmers who are staying in town.
• 4. Nilwella and Blue Beach Island. About 15 minutes by tuk-tuk. A sandbar joins a small island to the shore. Guides describe calm water around it in the dry months, with fish and now and then a turtle. Fishermen at Nilwella also take people by boat to a spot they call the Japanese Garden. Bring your own mask.
• 5. Polhena, Matara. About half an hour to the west. A shallow reef close to the beach, so you swim out without a boat. Green turtles are seen there regularly, and local dive centres run guided trips. It suits beginners and children who swim well.
• 6. Unakuruwa, near Tangalle. A small bay to the east. People who know it say one side is for surfing and the other for snorkeling, and that turtles are sometimes seen near the beach. It suits a quiet half day if you are staying on the Tangalle side.
• 7. Mirissa. About an hour to the west there is another Turtle Point, near Coconut Tree Hill, where guided turtle snorkel trips are sold. It suits people who are already going to Mirissa for the whales.

What may you see under water?

• Green turtles. The kind seen most often near the shore in Sri Lanka. They eat sea grass and algae, so they graze slowly over the same ground.
• Reef fish. Shoals of small fish around the rocks and the coral.
• Coral and rock. Patches of coral in some places, more rock than coral in others.
• Sea urchins. Round and covered in sharp spines, in the rocks. Look, and keep away.

Wild animals keep no appointments. A good snorkel is forty quiet minutes in clear water. A turtle is a gift on top.

If you meet one, give it room. Do not touch, chase or feed it, and never swim right above it. We wrote the manners down in how to snorkel with turtles respectfully.

What should you bring, and what should you watch for?

• A mask that fits. Press it to your face without the strap and breathe in through your nose. If it stays, it fits.
• A long-sleeved swim shirt. Your back is in the sun the whole time. A shirt protects it better than any cream, and nothing washes off into the water.
• Sunscreen for the rest. Read the ingredients, not the words on the front.
• Water shoes for walking in, if you have them. Then float. Never stand on the reef, with shoes or without.
• A friend. Do not snorkel alone, and stay where you can stand if you are not a strong swimmer.

Walk into the water where the sand is clear. Once you are near rocks, keep your feet up. That one habit saves most people from the urchins.

Good to know

• Snorkel masks are lent free at Ohana. Ask at the bar.
• We are at Turtle Beach, Dikwella, less than five minutes by road from Hiriketiya. More about swimming with turtles at Turtle Beach is on our turtles page.
• Sea urchins live in the rocks of the bay. Walk in where the sand is clear.
• Breakfast is served from 08:00 to 11:00, lunch and dinner from 11:00 to 21:00, every day.
• Sunbeds are free for the whole day, one for each person, when each person spends 10,000 LKR on food and drinks; otherwise they cost 1,000 LKR an hour each. A towel comes with every sunbed.