Nesting on the coastal shore of Eastern province of Sri Lanka, The Pigeon island national park is one of the finest places where coral is grown. This name derives from the Rock pigeon which was once used as a shooting range by the British colonials. The island was declared as a sanctuary in 1963 and upgraded to a national park in 2003. You can go for boat trips from the Nilaveli beach for a round trip with the operators. Within 15 minutes you will be at the islands where coral reefs are covering and thousands of pigeons. Hence take a tour up to the rock island to take a look at the Nilaveli from the island.
There are two main sections; large pigeon island and small pigeon island separately. Being located in the dry zone, the annual mean temperature of the area goes around 27 C. the highest rain fall is received during the months of Oct- March. The large pigeon island where a fine coral reef of 200m long and 100 m wide is spread, the small island is surrounded by several rocky islets. Hundreds of foreign tourists are traveling this hot spot due to its famous sightseeing.
As a result of being located in Nilaweli a tourism paradise, tourists who visit Nilaveli beach never forget to take a look at Pigeon Islands. Perhaps you can go for snorkeling at the pigeon island too. In fact, it will take you to a vivid world of fish and coral. You will identify as Sinularia, Lobophyton, and Sarcophyton. Today the islands have been identified as a breeding place of the pigeons, therefore, the zone is administrated and conserved by the Sri Lankan navy and the department of wildlife conservations. Consequently, you will see green turtles, blacktip reef sharks, olive ridleys and hawksbill turtles swimming over the coral reefs. It will be awesome if you could travel in a dry or sunny day. The reefs should be more protected from pollution and reef degradation. Some of the travelers try to harm and pollute the coral and damage them. So the authorities must take proper actions to eradicate and control the tourism around the area. Travelers who are a penchant for seeing and enjoying their holidays in Sri lanka, can take a tour around Trincomalee and relax your mind. For nature lovers, the entire city is well worth to explore wildlife including the island.