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Hikkaduwa Beach |
Hikkaduwa Beach (Sinhala: හික්කඩුව වෙරළ තීරය) is a popular shoreline and National Park in Hikkaduwa in Galle District, Sri Lanka.
Beach
The beach is popular among the locals as well as foreigners as a place of safe bathing. Common bathing facilities are available in the vicinity area. As it is enclosed by a reef, the surrounding sea is shallow. Hikkaduwa is also famous for watching coral reefs, and turtles, and for surfing and snorkelling.
National Park
Extending in an area of about 104 ha, Hikkaduwa National Park is the first Marine Protected Area in Sri Lanka (IUCN & CEA, 2006). It encompasses a coastline of approximately 1.35 km between the southern breakwater of the Hikkaduwa fisheries harbour and rocky islets near the Coral Gardens Hotel (IUCN & CEA, 2006).
Hikkaduwa Reef
The reef at Hikkaduwa is considered a shallow fringing reef system found along the southern coast of the country. It is relatively small but contains high biodiversity. Corals with 60 species belonging to 31 genera and over 170 species of reef fish belonging to 76 genera have also been recorded from the reef (IUCN & CEA, 2006). It is one of the most studied marine ecosystems in the country (IUCN & CEA, 2006).
The reef was declared a Fisheries Protected Area in 1961 under the Fisheries Ordinance (IUCN & CEA, 2006). In 1979, the Hikkaduwa Marine Sanctuary was created covering an area of 44.5 ha and in 1998 it was declared a Nature Reserve and the protected area extended to 104 ha (IUCN & CEA, 2006). In 2002, it was upgraded to the status of a National Park (IUCN & CEA, 2006).
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References
Books
1) IUCN & CEA, 2006. National Wetland Directory of Sri Lanka. IUCN Sri Lanka and the Central Environmental Authority. Colombo, Sri Lanka. ISBN: 955-8177-54-7. pp.80-82.
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Attribution
To Whom
1) Hikkaduwa by Amila Tennakoon is licensed under CC BY 2.0
2) Hikkaduwa by Amila Tennakoon is licensed under CC BY 2.0
3) Hikkaduwa Surf by Dennis Binzen is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0