How close is Knife Rock to Nilavali Beach?

Knife Rock is about a 10-minute boat ride from Nilavali Beach.

How do you reach Knife Rock?

Dive it by boat from Nilaveli or Trincomalee. The run is short enough that it usually fits into a standard morning boat schedule.

How hard is Knife Rock?

Public listings place Knife Rock in the beginner-to-intermediate range, but the offshore setting makes it best for divers who are comfortable on a boat and in open water.

How much coral does Knife Rock have?

Knife Rock has rocky coral patches, including table, soft, and hard coral growth, but it is more of a fish-and-structure site than a pure coral garden.

Knife Rock is a knife-shaped offshore reef/pinnacle off Nilaveli. The dive is a compact loop around rock and coral growth, with fish life around the edges.

What should I watch for at Knife Rock?

Keep an eye on the day's wind and swell, and stay with the boat crew's plan. The site sits offshore, so it feels more open than sheltered reef picks when conditions build.

What will I see at Knife Rock?

Reef fish are the baseline, with morays, octopus, pufferfish, cuttlefish, groupers, barracuda, shrimp, and occasional blacktip reef sharks.

When is the best time to dive Knife Rock?

March to October is the cleaner east-coast window for Trincomalee, so Knife Rock is best planned inside that season.

Knife Rock

Knife-shaped offshore reef off Nilaveli with lively fish and coral growth.

Scuba DivingBoatIntermediate10m - 25m

PinnacleReef

Boat dive from Nilaveli/Trincomalee; best in the east-coast season when seas settle and the short offshore ride stays smooth.

About Knife Rock

Knife Rock is a knife-shaped offshore pinnacle off Nilaveli with rocky slopes, coral patches, and plenty of fish life around the outcrop. Local Trincomalee operators treat it as a straightforward boat dive for divers who are comfortable in open water and want a compact site with enough structure to keep the route interesting. It is best when the east-coast season is settled and the sea state stays calm.

Safety & Access

Site Conditions

Boat traffic

Safety Notes

Treat Knife Rock as an offshore boat dive and keep the plan conservative if the crew flags wind or swell.

Where Is Knife Rock?

This spotExplore nearby spots on the map

Community sourced coordinates.

Map imagery © Mapbox

Featured Operators

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Local Intel For Knife Rock

Community notes to help plan your visit.

Scuba Diving

Best as a boat reef/pinnacle dive with a compact loop around the rock and blue water around the edges for passing fish life.

Wildlife at Knife Rock

Species commonly reported at this site, with direct links into their wildlife guides.

Saltwater Fishes

Barracuda

Sharks

Blacktip Reef Shark

Carcharhinus melanopterus

Molluscs

Triggerfish

Research Estimate At Knife Rock

Access · 4/5Simple entry

Research estimate

Coral · 4/5Healthy coral

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Aquatic Life · 4/5Great variety

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Facilities · 4/5Good facilities

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Crowd / Popularity · 4/5Quite busy

Research estimate

VisibilityResearch estimate: 20m

Recent Visits

Sri Lanka · Trincomalee and Nilaveli

Knife Rock

Knife-shaped offshore reef off Nilaveli with lively fish and coral growth.

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FAQ

Knife Rock, Sri Lanka - Dive Spot Details & Conditions | DiveJourney

Knife Rock

About Knife Rock

Safety & Access

Where Is Knife Rock?

Featured Operators

Local Intel For Knife Rock