The Lord Nelson is a small iron-hulled bulk carrier that ran aground off Unawatuna in 1996 and now lies on the shallow Goda Gala reef. At only a few metres deep it is an easy first wreck, with parts open to penetration and reef fish living around it.
Also known as Lord Nelson, Load Nelson Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
6.0082° N, 80.2444° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wreck lies in 3 to 5 m within the reef area known as Goda Gala, so the whole dive stays in shallow water. Divers can penetrate parts of the hull and find reef fish and corals among the plates, and at times mantas arrive in large numbers.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Lord Nelson
- Type
- Iron-hulled motor bulk carrier
- Sunk
- 1996
- Cause
- Ran aground in monsoon conditions with heavy winds while anchored outside the harbour
- Lies
- In 3 to 5 m on the shallow Goda Gala reef near Unawatuna Beach
Marine life and season
- Manta rays
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Unawatuna & Jungle Beach: The south-coast season runs from October to April, and whale sharks occasionally pass from January to March.
Dive videos
Unawatuna Diving at Lord Nelson Shipwreck · ActivatedGenX on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is the Lord Nelson Wreck a good first wreck dive?+
Yes. It lies in only 3 to 5 m on the Goda Gala reef, and parts of the hull are open to penetration, so newly certified divers can explore it.
Sources
- Unawatuna Dive Sites — Pearl Divers
- Lord Nelson — National Shipwreck Database of Sri Lanka
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
More dive sites in Unawatuna & Jungle Beach
Pinnacle
A pinnacle with manta rays, scorpionfish, lionfish and morays
Reef
Black and red corals, with whale sharks sometimes seen in February
Wreck
Around 20 iron cannons spread across the seabed
A calm reef below Rumassala Mountain for snorkellers and divers
Reef
A resident giant Napoleon wrasse that gives the reef its name
Wreck
Groupers in the engine room and morays all through the wreckage
Wreck
An 1871 steamship sitting upright with a bow like a Viking ship
Similar dives elsewhere
The propeller of a 1943 steamship at 8 m
Glassfish packed into the wheelhouse of a sunken trawler
Four chimneys stand out of the water above an 80 m wreck
A 45 m unidentified freighter with a chance of mantas