HMS Hermes
Trincomalee · Sri Lanka
The world's first purpose built aircraft carrier, sunk by Japanese dive bombers on 9 April 1942 and now lying on her port side in roughly 50 metres of water off Sri Lanka's east coast. The 180-metre hull is a designated Commonwealth war grave and a decompression only dive: the flight deck, gun mounts and bridge are crusted in soft coral and sponge and patrolled by schooling snapper, trevally and batfish, with groupers and lionfish in the shadows. Real depth, limited bottom time and offshore current make this a serious technical wreck, reachable only in the calm May-to-September east coast season.
Conditions
Depth
42 to 55 m
Advanced depths
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
15 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 5 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Giant trevally
Last confirmed May 15, 2026 · 65 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Bluestripe snapper
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Batfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Grouper
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Lionfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Bull shark
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear