Hikkaduwa National Park, Hikkaduwa
Facts and practical information
Hikkaduwa National Park is one of the three marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The national park contains a fringing coral reef of high degree of biodiversity. The area was declared a wildlife sanctuary on May 18, 1979, and then on August 14, 1988, upgraded to a nature reserve with extended land area. The growth of the number of visitors in the next 25 years increased the degradation of the coral reef. To reduce the effects to the ecosystem, the reef was declared a national park on September 19, 2002. ()
Hikkaduwa
Best Ways to Experience the Place
Wildlife
AnimalsSee what popular animal species you can meet in this location.
Dugong
The dugong is a medium-sized marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees.
Mammals
Hawksbill Turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle is a Critically Endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus Eretmochelys.
Reptiles
Olive Ridley
The olive ridley sea turtle, also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second smallest and most abundant of...
Reptiles
Blacktip reef shark
The blacktip reef shark is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, easily identified by the prominent black tips on its fins.
Fish
Elkhorn coral
Elkhorn coral is an important reef-building coral in the Caribbean. The species has a complex structure with many branches which resemble that of elk antlers, hence the common name.
Anthozoans
Galle