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Pigeon Island

photo taken by Dschen Reinecke - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Sri_Lanka-Trincomalee-Pigeon_Island.JPG

Pigeon Island National Park consists of two small islands off the east coast north of Trincomalee . The island gets its name from Blue Rock Pigeon, a native endangered bird who lives within the rocks in these islands. The islands were declared a sanctuary in 1963 for the purpose of protecting these birds. In 2003 this area was upgraded to the status of a National Park and the boundaries were extended to include coral reef around them. The islands are situated about 1 km off the Nilaveli coast in Trincomalee District.

This island has one of the best remaining coral reefs with high live coral cover in the country and is an ideal location for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Number of Hotels and Guest Houses has opened up along the sandy beaches of Nilaveli since the end of war. There are Scuba Dive operators based on these hotels who organise dive trips.

There are boat operators who will charge Rs 1300/- - 1800/- for a return trip to the island. These can be organised outside hotel arrangements. The islands are looked after by the Navy.

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