When it comes to experiencing Mirissa and everything it has to offer, nothing tops simply heading to the beach, bunking down and sunbathing to your heart’s content with an occasional dip to cool down. However, if you’re hoping to add some adventure to your seaside holiday in Mirissa, opting to experience a scuba session can be one of the best things you can do on your getaway in a tropical paradise!
The Experience
While Sri Lanka offers several fantastic scuba diving spots, Mirissa is quite well -known among avid scuba divers for its mysterious shipwrecks, distinctive rock formations to the rich abundance of marine life that call these waters home. Divers will get to observe numerous species of exotic and brightly coloured tropical fish, several species of sea turtles, eels, sting greys, and if you’re lucky – even blue whales and dolphins. The best time to visit Mirissa if your keen on having yourself a scuba diving holiday is anywhere from November to March when there is great visibility.
The Best Diving Points to Check Out
If you’re a beginner and hoping to practice scuba diving, then Lopsta Point is well recommended. The reef area is large and expansive and would take 40 minutes to completely explore the site, here you can dive to a depth of 15m to 17m. The Diyambagala Point is comparatively much deeper than the Lopsta Point, with a dive depth of 32 to 37 m. To take in a more diverse marine life, head to the Godagala Point, home to a large and vibrant reef, here you can take in a rich marine life, with the dive depth being 17m to 23m. Scuba divers will require a good 40 minutes or even more to fully explore this site. To experience multi-level diving, Aththalaba Point would be best. Total exploration time would be approximately 30 minutes, with the dive depth here being 8 to 21 m. If you’re interested in underwater photography or interested in marine biology, then Reef Point will prove to be excellent. Featuring a vibrant coral reef, and diverse marine eco-system, and great visibility, this site will need at least 45-minute exploration time.
Reputed Service Providers to Consider
Some repute service providers in Mirissa known for offering great scuba diving tours include Muthu Tours Mirissa. Another is Mirissa Dive Centre which also offers reef diving, night diving, open water diving, and much more. If you’re a complete beginner and keen to get your PADI certification then consider Weligama Bay Dive Centre, they are very well known for their experienced and friendly instructors who will make sure you have a safe and satisfactory experience. Usually, the price points for a diving session does vary between the tour operators, with a scuba diving experience in Mirissa staring anywhere at LKR 3000 to LKR 5000 and could vary depending on the inclusion of equipment.
