Weligama Bay and neighbouring Mirissa sit on Sri Lanka's south coast, where short speedboat rides reach rock formations and pinnacles with dives between 6 and 24 m. Yala Rock, Dispa Rock and Noisy Rock are the headline sites, and Mirissa Point gives a sandy start for beginners. The season runs from November to April, and the draw is nudibranchs and moray eels on the rocks with a chance of blue whales, whale sharks or manta rays in the bay.
About diving in Weligama & Mirissa
Fun dives start from a boat. Centres in Weligama and Mirissa run single or double tanks on a short speedboat ride: 20 minutes to Yala Rock and Noisy Rock, and 30 minutes to Dispa Rock and Patch Point. Off Mirissa the reef begins just off the dive centre. A double runs as two dives in one morning with a surface break between them, and night dives, refreshers and Advanced Open Water courses fill the rest of the schedule.
The terrain is rock: massive formations and pinnacles standing on sand, cut by swim-throughs and little caves at Yala Rock and Noisy Rock. The pinnacles are where nudibranchs gather in numbers and variety, alongside sea turtles, electric rays, moray eels and a wide spread of reef fish. Dispa Rock, the deepest site, has its peak covered in tiny blue triggerfish, with barracudas hunting there. Off Weligama beach the current can be quite strong and unpredictable for swimmers.
It suits newly certified divers: Open Water is enough for the boat fun dives, and Mirissa Point is used to start beginner courses, with dives there lasting more than an hour. Those travelling between May and September will find the Mirissa centre diving out of Nilaveli on the east coast, whose season runs from 30 April to 30 September.
Best time to dive Weligama & Mirissa
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
The Mirissa season runs from 1 November to 10 April, and dolphins and sharks are most likely around the rocks from November to mid-April. December through April is the prime stretch at Yala Rock and Patch Point. After 10 April the Mirissa centre closes for bookings and moves to its east-coast base in Nilaveli. The southwest monsoon drenches the west and southwest of the island from April to July. Nothing confirms boats running from August to October.
Dive types & marine life
Green turtles feed on the reef off Mirissa and are the first animal most divers see. Nudibranchs, morays and electric rays live among the Weligama rocks. Dolphins and sharks are most likely from November to mid-April. Blue whales, whale sharks and manta rays may be seen in the bay but are chance sightings, with Dispa Rock the deep site that offers the possibility.
- Reef
- Muck & macro
- Night
- Nudibranchs
- Sea turtles
- Reef fish swarms
- Dolphins
- Manta rays
- Whale sharks
- Whales
Best dive sites in Weligama & Mirissa
- 1
Yala Rock
Rock formations rising from 20 m to a peak 5 m below the surface, with fusiliers and snappers schooling on top
- 2
Dispa Rock
Deep rock to 32 m, 30 minutes out, with a chance of whale sharks and mantas
- 3
Noisy Rock
Rocky caves to 20 m sheltering lionfish, pufferfish, glassfish and small barracudas
- 4
Patch Point
Field of small round rocks 3 km off Mirissa Beach, home to clown triggerfish and honeycomb morays
- 5
Mirissa Point
Sandy-bottomed site between 6 and 12 m, also an excellent night dive
Site guides
Pinnacle
Barracudas hunting over a pinnacle top carpeted in blue triggerfish
Reef
A sandy-bottomed training site that doubles as a night dive
Reef
The bay's densest cluster of swim-throughs and little caves
Clown triggerfish and honeycomb morays 3 km off Mirissa Beach
Pinnacle
Swim-throughs in little caves and a fusilier school on the summit
How to get to Weligama & Mirissa
Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is the arrival point. Weligama lies 146 km from Colombo and 27 km from Galle. Trains run from Colombo Fort to Weligama, 7 km from Mirissa, and air-conditioned highway buses run from Colombo Fort to Matara, with regular local buses on to Mirissa. The dive centres sit in Weligama and Mirissa.
Photos from Weligama & Mirissa
PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive Weligama and Mirissa?+
Open Water is the minimum for boat fun dives and covers dives to 18 m, while Yala Rock reaches 24 m and Dispa Rock 32 m.
When is the diving season in Mirissa?+
From 1 November to 10 April. December through April is the best stretch at Yala Rock and Patch Point, and outside the season the Mirissa centre moves to Nilaveli on the east coast.
Is diving in Weligama shore or boat?+
Boat. Fun dives run on a short speedboat ride, 20 minutes to Yala Rock or 30 minutes to Dispa Rock, while the Mirissa reef starts just off the dive centre.
Can blue whales or whale sharks be seen while diving?+
Occasionally. Blue whales, whale sharks and manta rays may be seen in the bay, but they are chance encounters, best hoped for on the deep Dispa Rock.
How do divers get to Weligama and Mirissa?+
Fly into Colombo-Bandaranaike International Airport, then take the train from Colombo Fort to Weligama or a highway bus to Matara; Weligama is 146 km from Colombo.
Sources
- Dive Sites - Weligama Bay Tour — Weligama Bay Dive Centre
- Dispa Rock — Weligama Bay Dive Centre
- Yala Rock — Weligama Bay Dive Centre
- Mirissa Point — Weligama Bay Dive Centre
- Patch Point — Weligama Bay Dive Centre
- Noisy Rock — Weligama Bay Dive Centre
- Mirissa Dive Center: Scuba Diving & PADI Courses — Mirissa Collective
- FAQ — Diving, Snorkeling & Kayak in Sri Lanka — Mirissa Collective
- Matara Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
- Sri Lanka — Wikivoyage
- Weligama — Wikivoyage
- Mirissa — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- Aerial view of a curving palm-lined beach with a small rocky islet just offshore and white surf breaking over green water by dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Five small yellow and blue fishing boats moored in calm blue water, with a low green shore and a small islet behind by PIERRE ANDRE LECLERCQ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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