NEW! - Sri Lanka Aggressor

With a rich culture and great natural beauty, Sri Lanka captures the best of all worlds. The underwater focus is primarily on the 200+ wrecks found around the island. In addition, wildlife enthusiasts can expect to encounter several species of whale and dolphin in its rich waters, and recreational diving weeks offer the best of everything.

Built for power, comfort and stability, the purpose built yacht (pictured) is a spacious 44 metres in length and cruises at 10-12 knots.  She features 13 spacious air-conditioned staterooms for up to 26 passengers, partially covered sun deck, lounge, wet bar, BBQ grill area and a swim deck. There is ample room on the dive deck which features lockers, rinse tanks and a camera table. The boat is accompanied by two skiffs, from which some dives operate and all snorkelling activities. Due to local conditions, divers must be minimum advanced qualified to join a dive trip. Nitrox is available.

The inaugural trip begins from Trincomalee (Trinco) on the east coast. This whale and dolphin snorkelling trip offers guest the opportunity to encounter up to 13 species of whale and 8 species of dolphin in the water. World renowned naturalist Howard Martenstyn will be on board offering expert advice and information on behaviour patterns. Expect blue, sperm, humpback, beaked, melon head, pilot and false killer whales.

The recreational diving trips depart from Colombo and include the best of everything. Time is split between exploring local wrecks and enjoying drift dives along the lush coral reefs, teeming with marine life. The wreck dives include the Thermopylae Sierra, Chief Dragon, Taprobane and Trug (Nilgiri) all of which have their own history, can be easily dived and are home to a prolific marine life.

Wreck enthusiasts will enjoy a week of discovery and exploration on world-class wrecks such as the HMS Hermes, the first ever British built aircraft carrier, now lying at a depth of 54 metres of the Batticaloa coast on the eastern side of Sri Lanka. These are technical diving weeks and the boat is fully equipped for tri-mix and rebreather diving.

This is an exciting time for divers looking for new adventures and we highly recommend enhancing your holiday experience by including a few days topside. Sri Lanka is an enchanting destination where eastern meets western in a captivating mix of ancient architecture, rich culture and natural beauty. Whether you relax on palm fringed beaches, visit temples, tea plantations or wildlife parks; there’s plenty to attract the avid traveller.

The Aggressor Tented Safari Lodge is a 5-star luxurious tented camp perfectly located to experience big game viewing both at Minneriya, famous for its elephant population, and Wilpattu, the oldest and largest park, famous for its diverstiy of wildlife residents such as leopard, deer, monkeys and birdlife. In addition the extenstion includes trips to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 5th Century Sigiriya Rock Palace and the 3rd Centruy ancient city of Anuradhapura.

 

All images courtesy of Aggressor Fleet / Nishan Perera

As of March 2017, the Sri Lanka Aggressor is no longer operational. Our Dive consultants can arrange a topside adventure in Sri Lanka, or combine with exceptional diving in the Maldives.