Turtles are mysterious sea creatures with long life spans but they are also in the endangered species list. If you’re planning your next beach holiday in Sri Lanka’s southern coast, don’t forget to plan a visit to the Hikkaduwa Turtle Hatchery, which happens to be a turtle conservation farm. When you do your search for good hotel offers in Sri Lanka, keep the turtles and a beach holiday in mind.
The Hikkaduwa Turtle Hatchery is place you can easily stumble upon on a walk along the vast and beautiful stretch of Hikkaduwa Beach. The colourful turtle themed murals are a telltale sign. If you stay at one of the beachside hotels such as Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon, you could easily ask a tuk tuk driver to take you there.
Your turtle hatchery tour will typically start with a visit to the nesting ground. The hatchery owner and his team dig up turtle eggs buried in the beach to keep them out of harm’s way and keep a careful eye on them until the hatchlings arrive. Once these tiny babies hatch out their eggs, their human friends release them into the vast blue ocean in the dead of the night. From there onwards, these tiny babies start their ever-perilous journey across the ocean to hopefully one day return to the same beach to lay their eggs. According to studies, they rely on their intuitive knowledge of the earth’s magnetic field to achieve this seemingly incredible feat.
In addition to caring for hatchlings, the Hikkaduwa Turtle Hatchery takes care of injured adult turtles. The owners let visitors hold certain healthy adult turtles. If you are keen on being witness to the hopeful release of hatchlings back into their vast home, visit the hatchery during the hatching season from November to March. Batches of hatchlings start their respective journeys on Sundays and Mondays during this time.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+
