Unexpected Delight: Exploring Pigeon Island in Trincomalee - Pigeon Island turned out to be an unexpected delight during our visit to Trincomalee in March 2024. While I initially hesitated, preferring to head straight to the hotel for some relaxation, my wife's insistence led us to this gem of an experience. The government's setup at Nilaveli Beach streamlined the boat and snorkeling adventure seamlessly. Although I hadn't planned on snorkeling, I'm grateful we did. It proved to be an exhilarating adventure, with an abundance of reef sharks and stunning coral formations. I'd recommend bringing your own snorkeling equipment for added convenience and hygiene. March seems to be an ideal time to visit, as it's less crowded compared to the peak season. Overall, Pigeon Island exceeded my expectations, offering a perfect blend of adventure and natural beauty.

Beautiful place - I paid about $80, this included entrance fee , guide and bost ride there and back . You can stay as long as you want. I definitely recommend a guide, he'll show you the best spots. I saw about 8 black tip sharks ,2 turtles and many coral and vivid colored fish. I used my new underwater camera and was pleased at what I saw. A very small area so not else to see. I had 2 45 min sessions

Snorkeling on Pigeon Island - Spectacular Marine Park in the Nilaveli area. You can see turtles, reef sharks, cuttlefish, glopus fish, parrot fish, corals and a great diversity of tropical fish, etc. Highly recommended for all types of people, it is not necessary to be an expert in snorkeling to enjoy the dives and be able to see an amazing underwater world. There are areas where it seems like you are inside a fish tank. The entrance fee to the park varies in price depending on the influx of public and the weather on the day you want to visit. We pay €40 per person plus the boat you need to get to the island, the price varies between €100-200 for a boat with a maximum capacity of 6-8 people, depending. of the distance at which you are and the haggling you do before renting the boat. For the entrance to the park there is no haggling that is worth it. We pay €140 for the reservation of the boat. It is highly recommended to visit it although the price of the excursion For a family of 4-5 people it can be more than €300-400 per family

Flipping great - Booked at the last minute and it turned out I was the only one on the boat from the location south of Nilaveli… a restaurant on the beach. The trip to Pigeon Island was a 10 min hop. If you are a strongish swimmer, decline the flippers and use your beach shoes as the coral on the beach is painful to walk on. The snorkel tours themselves were incredible. Maybe not as much sea life as say, the Red Sea but beautiful nonetheless with all sorts of (often huge) fish and quite a few sharks that minded their own business but which were amazing up close. Loved it (despite the 100000 non-stinging jellyfish that took some getting used to)

A beautiful memorable experience - Amazing experience. Snorkeling with turtles and exotic fish. Our guide ensured we didn't miss out despite my fear of the ocean. Exhilarating to say the least!

Nice but too many tourists - There are 2 sides for snorkeling. On one side you can see sharks and turtles, on the other side fish. Very expensive and many corals have already been destroyed by tourism. The side with sharks is worth it - get here early. By midday there are far too many people for the small island. It was nice but when you see what people have already done, I wouldn't go twice

Beautiful Island, but sadly no facilities! - Beautiful island for snorkelling but sadly no facilities on the island. As couple of hours was enough for us. It’s quite expensive for the boat and entrance fee. If you want to go longer, take food and water. Probably better areas to see!

No go for off-season - Don't go there off-season. Although it was end of march, and the season was just couple of weeks away. It was a scary and long journey to the island maneuvering among the waves. Saw two sharks, otherwise you could see all the same for much lesser amount of money in other places. Might have had a better experience if the visit was during the season

I can only say, don't go - immediately after a confirmed booking I got a whatsapp with a time change, they did not run the boat that was confirmed. Also clear instruction "do not book on Tripadvisor" Snorkling partly ok, reef dead, some fish, couple turtles and a shark. Second part of the snorkling in very low visibility water, the guide decided to send the crowd in alone. If someone was not a good swimmer, too me it looked very risky. I can only say, don't go

Unsafe - One of guides took u der the sea and pull off life jackets purpisefully and touched chest while sufficating.. Its not safe for girls at all. Guide name Wassim