Hummanaya Blowhole is situated on a rocky cliff in Kudawella fishing village in Matara District, Sri Lanka. It is considered the second largest of the six known blowholes in the world and the only one in Sri Lanka (Abeyawardana, 2004). The rumble that is made by this blowhole has given this place its Sinhala name, Hummanaya.
A blowhole is a geological feature that is formed as sea caves grow landwards and upwards into vertical shafts and expose themselves towards the surface. It can result in hydraulic compression of seawater that is released through a port from the top of the blowhole. The height of the spray is determined by the geometry of the cave and blowhole along with tide levels and swell conditions.
The Hummanaya blowhole is highly active during the southwest monsoon, especially in June (Abeyawardana, 2004). The outlet of the blowhole is located at about 75 ft. from sea level (Abeyawardana, 2004). It shoots up the spray up to a height of 60 ft. depending on the strength of the waves (Abeyawardana, 2004).
Presently, this site has been developed as a minor tourist attraction, with a small information and study centre.
References
1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Ruhuna: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. ISBN: 955-575-073-4. pp.95-97
Location Map
This page was last updated on 25 March 2022
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map