Pigeon Island National Park

Pigeon Island National Park would be one of the two marine parks of Sri Lanka. The national park is located 1 km from the coast of Nilaveli, a coastal town in the Eastern Province, covering a total of 471,429 hectares. The name of the island comes from the rock pigeon that inhabited it. The national park has some of the best reefs left in Sri Lanka. Pigeon Island was designated as a preserve in 1963. In 2003 it was reorganized as a national park. This park is the 17th in Sri Lanka. This island was used as a shooting range during the colonial period. Pigeon Island was one of the protected areas affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Features

Pigeon Island has two islands; big pigeon island and small pigeon island. The island is surrounded by a reef, and is about 200 m long and 100 m wide. Its highest point is 44.8 meters above sea level.[4] The small pigeon island is surrounded by rocky islands. This national park is located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The average annual temperature is about 27.0°C (80.6°F). Annual rainfall is between 1,000–1,700 millimeters (39–67 in) but most of the rainfall occurs during the rainy season in Northeast from October to March.

Flora and fauna

The coral reef fauna of Dove Island is dominated by Acropora spp. with some Montipora spp.Faviidae, Mussidae and Poritidae dominate the reefs surrounding the rocky islands. Areas with soft corals would be Sinularia, Lobophyton, and Sarcophyton can also be observed. The reef holds most of the vertebrates and invertebrates.[2] Most of the 100 species of corals and 300 species of corals recorded around Trincomalee are found in the national park. Juvenile and adult reef sharks are seen around shallow reefs. Hawksbill turtles, green turtles and olive ridley turtles are the visiting turtles of the reef. The island is a very important habitat for the rock pigeon.

Better time to visit Pigeon Island

You can visit Pigeon Island National Park Sri Lanka in summer and winter. However, the best time to visit the island is summer in June.

Summer season

It is best to visit the island of the national park between May - October. Nilaveli is amazing in summer. You can enjoy the calm sea and the beautiful sunny weather. When you looking for water sports, summer is the best time to visit. According to local people, the best time to visit Pigeon Island National Park is June.

Winter Season

It is better to visit the island of the national park between November - April. The whole place is less crowded in winter. The sea is a bit rough compared to summer but the Pigeon National Park is a good place to visit to get away from a secluded beach.

Activities to do in Pigeon Island National Park

1. Pigeon Island Beach

The pigeon island park consists of two islands - the big pigeon island and the small pigeon island. The best thing about any island is the beach, and Pigeon Island National Park is no different. Twisting through the land is a coral reef up to 200m long and 100m wide. So, you can see a lot of sea creatures in the beach. The small pigeon island has a rocky island that surrounds its rich habitat. The reefs and islands are a breeding ground for more than 300 species of coral fish that keep the colorful underwater song alive. You can still chill, just like any other beach but, make sure you wear your flip flops at all times. Coral reefs are a real thing here.

2. Snorkeling at its best

Pigeon Island is a paradise for people who are looking for a good place to snorkel. The clear water makes snorkeling easy and safe starting from 1 ft of water to 6-7ft. You can witness a variety of underwater creatures ranging from horn fish, angel fish, parrot fish, eels, coral gardens, and other colorful fish, among others. There is also a high chance of seeing large sea turtles and even sharks. You'll need to charter a boat and pay some fees, but that's a small sacrifice for the experience you'll get. It is recommended to ask for a guide while booking the cruise as there are a few restricted areas. If snorkeling is not enough, the Pigeon Island resort also offers deep sea diving for adrenaline junkies. The resort has different packages for safe diving for children. You can find different depths and night and underwater photos with a certified tower.

3. Other water activities to do

When snorkeling does not fall under your topic of interest, the speedboat ride is worth a trip itself. We can enjoy swimming to the other side of the island or go even fishing in the ocean. Windsurfing is another famous secondary activity we can do at the Pigeon island beach but you have to be lucky enough for the waves.

Location Near Pigeon Island National Park

1. Koneswaram Temple

Believed to date back to 400BC, the Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee is an important Hindu Temple that has gone through many years of prosperity, as well as many upheavals during European rule. Located in the historic Fort Frederick, the temple provides the perfect balance of the island's unique culture in an otherwise European setting.

Temple Wars and Colonialism

The Koneswaram Temple is considered one of the Pancha Ishwaram (one of the five abodes of Lord Shiva), making it one of the most important Hindu temples in the entire country. The temple flourished since its inception, because many kingdoms came, such as the Anuradhapura Kingdom, Chola Empire, Pandyan Kingdom, and the Jaffna Kingdom that made sure to protect the place of worship. In the 17th century, the 'Temple of a Thousand Pillars' was looted and destroyed by the Portuguese, which resulted in the loss of many valuables. Anyway, the later colonists, the Dutch, and the British allowed the rebuilding of this sacred temple. In addition, during this time, many lost items were recovered from the many tests conducted by researchers.

Temple of today

The temple is now decorated with many statues of Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesh and Goddess Parvati, along with many other elements that show the great importance of this place of worship in Sri Lanka.

2. Kanniya Watershed

Another nearby resort from Pigeon Island National Park, Kanniya Hot Springs is only 35 minutes away from the island. This popular attraction of Trincomalee consists of 7 hot springs (each with a slight difference in temperature) and is believed to have healing powers and can heal ailments through its special abilities. This place also has a great historical significance, because it is believed that King Ravana made these wells for his mother. It's a great place to visit for a refreshing swim and to connect with the locals.

History of Kanniya Hot Spring

The records show that the hot springs were reserved by the Buddhist Monks who lived in the area during the Anuradhapura period. Kanniya Hot Spring site is a protected monument / site by the Department of Archeological Sri Lanka. Even today, there are ancient ruins that can be seen but most of them were destroyed during the Sri Lankan war that ended in 2009. According to historical research, these wells may be part of a lake used by the Buddhists of the Velgam Vehera Buddhist Monastery and more. number of remains of Buddhist buildings have been recovered near Kanniya Hot Spring area.

According to Ramayana Yatra Sri Lanka

According to the period of King Ravana, it is said that King Ravana stuck the earth with his sword in many parts and springs sprung from these parts. The water was hot and this was the beginning of hot springs. Therefore, this is one of the Ramayana Yatra related places as well in Sri Lanka.

The characteristics of the water of the Geothermal Springs in Kanniya Trincomalee

Geothermal springs are natural springs that contain hot water. Hydrothermal vents link the Earth's lithosphere, water cycle and atmosphere. There are generally three main factors that control the formation of hot springs, including temperature, groundwater and reservoir rocks.

The temperature of the spring of Kinniya ranges from 30ºC to 37ºC, all of which can be classified as warm springs. The spring is classified as weak as indicated by a pH that does not vary from 6.7 to 7.3. The conductivity of Kinniya hot springs at 25 ºC shows a slight variation from 288 to 428 ?S/cm (Table 2). On the temperature of the spring of Madunagala is from 34 ºC to 46 ºC, all of which can be classified as hot springs.

Other studies have shown that an increase in atmospheric precipitation decreases the temperature and a corresponding decrease in atmospheric precipitation increases the climate. of hot water. Therefore, there is a close relationship between atmospheric precipitation and ground water temperature. Chemical analysis results showed that Kinniya spring has the most HCO3 and Madunagala spring has the most ions Cl.