What is the Ocean Viewing Index (OVI) for Unawatuna Beach?

OVI is a 0-100 composite score combining sea color, water clarity, visibility, sea conditions, sunlight and water quality to help you decide if the sea is worth seeing today.

When is the best time to visit Unawatuna Beach for sea views?

Start with the current and 7-day OVI forecast for Unawatuna Beach, then choose a daylight period that also fits your plan. If you want tide pools, exposed shore, or a tide-dependent walk, check the local high and low tide times as well.

Should I use tide times or OVI for a visit to Unawatuna Beach?

Use tide times when your visit depends on water level, such as a sandbar, tide pool, or exposed rocks. Use OVI to compare likely sightseeing conditions including sea appearance, visibility, sea state, and lighting. For a coastal trip, read both together.

Unawatuna Beach Tides & Ocean Viewing Index

Galle, Sri LankaAsia/Colombo

Ocean View Index

62Fair

Next tide

23:22High Tide

Sunrise / Sunset

00:24 – 12:21

Local time

03:53

Unawatuna Beach in Galle, Sri Lanka, a crescent of golden sand famed for sunsets and sea turtles.

Ocean Viewing Index

Updated · Oct 23, 2026 22:23

Reference time: local noon · 11:53 (Asia/Colombo)

Estimated

Fair

Fair conditions. Sea color may appear muted.

Sub-Index Breakdown

Six dimensions feed the overall Ocean Viewing Index.

Sea Color
Vivid turquoise / azure · hue
81.8
Clarity
Very clear (below 1.5 NTU) · NTU
100
Visibility
Under 8 m · m
40.9
Sea State
Light breeze (2-3) · Beaufort
64
Lighting
Low / harsh light · lux
10
Water Quality
index
—

Weather Forecast

7-day marine weather forecast from Open-Meteo model.

TodayOct 23

Rain

29°24°

3.6 m/s

13.0mm

SatOct 24

Rain

29°24°

2.8 m/s

15.0mm

SunOct 25

Thunderstorm

29°24°

3.4 m/s

23.5mm

MonOct 26

Thunderstorm

29°24°

5.5 m/s

44.0mm

TueOct 27

Thunderstorm

27°24°

6.6 m/s

30.6mm

WedOct 28

Rain

27°24°

4.6 m/s

15.6mm

ThuOct 29

Rain

27°24°

2.3 m/s

14.6mm

Visibility: 8 km·Cloud: 84%

48-Hour Hourly Forecast

Hour-by-hour marine weather for the next 48 hours.

Now25°3—

01:0026°30.1

02:0026°3—

03:0028°4—

04:0029°50.1

05:0028°70.4

06:0029°41.5

07:0029°50.4

08:0028°50.8

09:0027°51.9

10:0027°51.4

11:0027°40.1

12:0027°3—

13:0026°30.4

14:0026°20.2

15:0026°10.2

16:0026°20.3

17:0026°40.3

18:0025°31.2

19:0025°31.2

20:0025°30.3

21:0025°40.3

22:0025°30.9

23:0024°41.0

00:0025°20.6

01:0025°20.2

02:0025°20.3

03:0027°30.5

04:0028°50.2

05:0029°40.2

06:0029°40.3

07:0029°40.1

08:0029°40.1

09:0029°40.2

10:0029°40.3

11:0026°50.8

12:0025°20.5

13:0024°33.1

14:0025°20.5

15:0025°1—

16:0025°10.1

17:0024°31.9

18:0024°10.2

19:0024°1—

20:0025°30.5

21:0025°11.8

22:0024°41.4

23:0025°11.2

7-Day OVI Trend

Forecast ocean viewing conditions for the coming week.

Best on Sat: Viewing conditions are Good; aim for the golden hour just after sunrise or before sunset. Great for snorkeling and photography.

High & Low Tides Today

Times and heights of today's high and low water.

Mixed TideCoefficient: 77.6 / 120Higher coefficient means larger tide range; 120 is the largest spring, 20 the smallest neap.

Time	Type	Height
23:22	High	1.51 m

Fishing & Surf Forecast

Solunar feeding times and today's surf rating.

80Excellent100EpicView full forecast

48-Hour OVI Trend

Hour-by-hour ocean viewing outlook for the next 48 hours, dampened by rainfall.

Today's Tide Summary

A quick look at the day's high and low water.

High Tide

23:22

1.51 m

Best Months to Visit

Average Ocean Viewing Index by month over the past year.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Based on historical climatology (Pitarch 2021)

Nearby Beaches

Other beaches closest to Unawatuna Beach.

51 km away

Mirissa Beach

Matara, Sri Lanka

100 km away

Mount Lavinia Beach

Colombo, Sri Lanka

448 km away

Kovalam Beach

Kerala, India

773 km away

Artificial Beach

Male, Maldives

Frequently asked questions

What is the Ocean Viewing Index (OVI) for Unawatuna Beach?: OVI is a 0-100 composite score combining sea color, water clarity, visibility, sea conditions, sunlight and water quality to help you decide if the sea is worth seeing today.
When is the best time to visit Unawatuna Beach for sea views?: Start with the current and 7-day OVI forecast for Unawatuna Beach, then choose a daylight period that also fits your plan. If you want tide pools, exposed shore, or a tide-dependent walk, check the local high and low tide times as well.
Should I use tide times or OVI for a visit to Unawatuna Beach?: Use tide times when your visit depends on water level, such as a sandbar, tide pool, or exposed rocks. Use OVI to compare likely sightseeing conditions including sea appearance, visibility, sea state, and lighting. For a coastal trip, read both together.

Essential Information

Coordinates: 6.0167°, 80.2500°
Timezone: Asia/Colombo
Region & Country: Galle, Sri Lanka

Data sources

Tides: UHSLC / FES2022b · Weather: NOAA GFS · Sea color: NASA MODIS/VIIRS