The broken hull of the British Sergeant SHipwreck (1942), Kayankerny, Sri Lanka
The stern end of the unidentified steamer at Umari, East coast of Sri Lanka
The National Shipwreck Database of Sri Lanka contains information and details on shipwrecks recorded mainly by the Maritime Archaeology Unit of the Central Cultural Fund. These wreck sites expanse from the 2nd century BCE to modern times. This aims to raise awareness among the relevant institutes as well as the diving community to protect our valuable underwater cultural heritage for the future..
The summary of the National Shipwreck Database of Sri Lanka
Total Shipwrecks
The Oldest Shipwreck
Historical Wrecks
Protected Wrecks
The shipwrecks in the database is attached to the administrative provinces in Sri Lanka for easy identification of the sites. This graph shows the summary of shipwrecks by provinces.
Follow key features listed below to get maximum out of this database.
Locate a shipwreck using the interactive map. This map provides filtering options to you to find in-depth details of each shipwreck site.
This interactive timeline will tell the story of Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka, how it began and developed with the time.
Discovery of the oldest shipwreck site in the Asia-Pacific Region. Find out when & where the wreck lays. The excavations and the artifacts found.
Dashboard and a searchable list of shipwrecks around the country. It also contains interactive charts to learn more about the wrecks.
The publications done by the Maritime Archaeology Unit, includes research reports, Newsletters, book chapters, research papers, etc.
Are you a researcher who wants more information about these shipwrecks? We will provide access to the restricted area of NSDSL on written request.