The coastline of Sri Lanka is home to a wide range of marine species and has become an established destination for enjoying whale, dolphin, and turtle watching. The shallow seagrass meadows of the Indian Ocean, the vibrant coral reefs of the Coral Triangle, and the sandy beaches of the Eastern Pacific are all home to seven different species of ocean (or marine) turtles. Moreover, a variety of thriving coral reefs can be discovered throughout the shoreline, which is also an essential home for other animals like sharks, dolphins, and sea turtles who are categorized as vulnerable. Recent research showed that there are approximately 6.5 million sea turtle left in the sea across the globe. It is seen that 90% of the population of sea turtles are female. The population of each species of sea turtles goes as follows,
Sea turtles spend the majority of their life in the ocean, despite the fact that these highly migratory animals occasionally come ashore in order to rest or nest. The male turtles never come ashore after they join the sea as hatchlings and therefore spend their entire lives in the ocean and have extensive migration routes. Only the females return to the same beach after mating at sea in order to build their nests and lay dozens of eggs. The quantity of eggs laid varies depending on the turtle's individuality and species. The female returns to the sea after laying her eggs and covering them with sand, never to be seen again.
There are 250 species of turtles on Earth, among them 243 species are terrestrial turtles, also known as tortoises, or dwell in freshwater ponds and marshes. Five among the remaining seven species listed below are marine turtles, who interestingly, nest on Sri Lankan beaches.
Click here to read more on these turtle categories.
The three main turtle hatcheries in Sri Lanka which started as turtle conservation projects have now become an attraction to all travellers, where they are able to explore the hatchery, see turtles and educate oneself about turtles.
Listed below are the three main turtle hatcheries found in Sri Lanka.
