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4 Km West Of Lunawa

SL/W/COLO/M/04

MV Thermopylae Sierra · Sierra

Year sunk
2012
District
Colombo
Depth
6.00–23.00 m
Vessel type
Bulk Carrier

Overview

Since 2009, this Cypriot -owned bulk carrier had been anchored in the outer anchorage southwest of Mount Lavinia, pending the resolution of a long drawn court case between the crew and owners. During this period the ship was virtually left to its own devices. Her forward holds started filing up, and by August 2012 her bow had almost disappeared under the waterline. Then it sank on 23 August 2012 during the monsoons. 

As of 2021, the three masts (cranes) are still above water. The bridge has collapsed and is underwater. Because of the shallowness, the wreck is deteriorating quite fast and ruptures are appearing on the hull.

Onboard the ship there are several large pipes stacked together. Some have spilt over to the sand. 

At the bow, the ships bulbous bow can be seen. At the stern, there are no signs of the propeller or rudder and it seems buried deep under.

During the season, especially in the month of March, Whale Sharks have been observed frequently at this wreck. This is one of the most popular wrecks for the Marine Tourism Industry and a training ground for novice divers.  At the night, it is a popular fishing ground for line fishermen. Thus, this wreck is a valuable asset for tourism and fisheries in Sri Lanka. 

As the wreck can be clearly seen, it does not pose a navigational hazard, especially in modern-day vessels equipped with radar. In addition, it is well inward of the port approaches. 

Diver at the Bow 4 Apr 2014 © Dharshana Jayawardena / Ghosts of the Deep - Diving the Shipwrecks of SL
Inside the wreck parts 4 Apr 2014 © Dharshana Jayawardena / Ghosts of the Deep - Diving the Shipwrecks of SL
The sinking ship 23 Aug 2012 © Dharshana Jayawardena
The superstructure of the wreck 4 Mar 2014 © Indika Hewage
Video 4 Mar 2017 © Rasika Muthucumarana

Location

District: Colombo

Province: Western

Depth profile

6–23 m

Protection & status

Access
None
Legal status
None

Vessel chronology

2012

Year sunk

1985 – 2009

Time period estimate

References & publications

  • Jayawadena, D. (2016) Ghosts of the Deep - Diving the shipwrecks of Sri Lanka, Vijitha Yapa Publications, Colombo, pp.91-99.
  • ප්‍රියන්දන රුක්ෂාන් ඩබ්.එච් (2014) බස්නාහිර වෙරළ තීරයේ මුහුදු පුරාවිද්‍යා ගවේෂණ, දලනිඳු, විද්‍යුත් පුවත් සරණිය, වෙලුම 06, කාණ්ඩය 03, ජූලි - ‍දෙසැම්බර් 2014, මුහුදු පුරාවිද්‍යා ඒකකය, මධ්‍යම සංස්කෘතික අරමුදල

Record provenance

Last updated
2021-05-24
Biodiversity survey
Incomplete

Data: National Shipwreck Database / CCF–MAU