Hikkaduwa Coral Reef

The location is great, but if you can swim, I suggest going snorkeling instead of paying for both rides. This will save you a lot of money and allow you to see more things, such a variety of fish and coral reefs.

Size 102 hectares Main attractions Corral and Reef Fish Hikkaduwa National Park lies in the popular tourist destination of Hikkaduwa along its beach. The Coral Reefs in this marine park have made Hikkaduwa Beach one of the most sought-after beaches in the country. In 1940, the Ambalangoda/Hikkaduwa Rocky Islets were declared sanctuaries and were limited to the land boundaries of these rocky islets. The intention was to afford protection to seabirds nesting on the islands. In 1961, 110 acres of territorial waters off Hikkaduwa were afforded protection under the Fisheries Ordinance. In 1979, the Hikkaduwa Marine Sanctuary was gazetted under the Fauna & Flora Protection Ordinance. In 1998 it was upgraded to the status of a nature reserve and later to a national park. Hikkaduwa National Park is one of the only 2 marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The primary purpose of the Hikkaduwa National Park is to protect the coral reefs. However human activity continues on the beaches of this park. The reef has suffered high degradation due to both natural and human activities. The live coral cover decreased from 47 per cent to 13 per cent in a coral bleaching event in 1998, induced by the 1998 El Nino weather. Hikkaduwa Coral Reef Ticket Prices (Entrance Fees) Currently, there is no special government fee levied to view the corals. However, you need to hire a glass bottom boat in which you can see the corals and fish from the boat itself or rent diving gear from a beach hotel. There are no regulated prices for Glass Bottom Boards to view the Corals of Hikkaduwa Beach. Shop around and check the prices of a few boats to get a feeling of the costs. About 8-10 people can go in one boat. It is possible to negotiate to a certain extent. Snorkelling/Diving is also the same. As in most tourist destinations, the beach is full of brokers (middlemen) looking for vulnerable tourists. If you go through them, you would probably pay double the actual cost. Therefore make sure you deal directly with the boat owner or the scuba gear owner.

Saw lots of fish and turtles, not a lot of living coral. Fairly shallow so felt safe even near the breaking waves.

Hikkaduwa is an amazing place to enjoy, though weekends tend to get crowded. For the best experience, I recommend visiting during the season (November to March). There are plenty of activities to enjoy, such as snorkeling, diving, swimming, or taking a glass-bottom boat tour. Unfortunately, most of the corals in Hikkaduwa are dead, but you can still find some live ones. However, many locals (and sometimes even foreigners) don’t seem to care about the corals, and their actions often contribute to the destruction of the remaining live coral. Despite this, there are still many fish and a few turtles to see. If you want a truly great experience, visit early in the morning before it gets crowded. Let’s all do our part to save nature! 🍂

For coral reef boat ride there are scammers. Most of the corals are dead and some of them are planted artificially. difficult to find parking and snorkeling will be a good option instead of the boat ride.

Excellent snorkeling with plenty of fish, even in the shallows. You can venture out a little further, past the Red bouys, and see some of the larger fish We hired masks and fins - 1000 per set. We also rented Sun beds next to Hikka Joint Beer Garden. 3000 for beds next to each other. Really enjoyed the beach and snorkeling!

Almost all dead corals in a beautiful beach. There are few sea creatures to be spotted. But seemingly, it is plummeting due to on going environmental pollution like as almost everywhere else. There are many hotels around here as a tourist attracted site. Also plenty of fishing boats are around, plus snorkeling and surfing facilities can be found.

Beautiful sandy kilometers long beach.Soft sand and the clean beach! Take a walk by the sea in the early morning hours, it's a perfect beginning of the day and best place for snorkeling, Here i try to swim every damn day I can, and finally I've learned to snorkel.