Earl of Shaftesbury
Conditions & tides
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Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Earl of Shaftesbury is a shipwreck off Hikkaduwa and Akurala on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka. She was an iron four-masted sailing ship, 85 m long, 13 m wide and 7 m high, built in Leith and weighing about 2100 tons. In May 1893 she was on passage from Bombay when she capsized off the shore and came to rest on the sand.
She lies on a flat sandy bottom at 12 to 15 m. Salvagers and time have taken a toll, but significant parts are still intact, including the hull section, some of the masts and the sides of the cabin. With good visibility the wreck makes a scenic dive.
Large stingrays, groupers, schools of snapper, lionfish and porcupinefish live on and around the wreck. Native sweetlips, silver batfish and schools of Foster's barracuda are also seen.
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The shallow depth makes this an easy dive for beginners and leaves time for a good hour of exploring.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
GrouperGrouperReported here · unconfirmed
SnapperSnapperReported here · unconfirmed
SweetlipsSweetlipsReported here · unconfirmed
Green Sea TurtleChelonia mydasReported here · unconfirmed
Orangestripe TriggerfishBalistapus undulatusReported here · unconfirmed
Girdled ReefgobyPriolepis cinctaReported here · unconfirmed
Reef-flat CardinalfishOstorhinchus taeniophorusReported here · unconfirmed
BatfishBatfishReported here · unconfirmed
BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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