The beaches of Tangalle and the broader Hambantota coast rank among the most important sea turtle nesting sites in Sri Lanka. Five species of sea turtle are found in Sri Lankan waters â the green turtle, hawksbill, leatherback, olive ridley, and loggerhead â all of which are globally threatened or endangered. Green turtles are the most common nesters on the Tangalle coast, arriving mainly between October and May to lay clutches of approximately 100 to 120 eggs in nests excavated above the high water mark. Natural incubation takes 55 to 65 days.
Conservation programmes in Tangalle involve nightly monitoring of nesting beaches for arriving females, the relocation of eggs to hatcheries where they are protected from predation and flooding, and the supervised release of hatchlings into the sea. Visitors may join guided night patrols during the peak nesting season (November to March), observing nesting females under controlled conditions that minimise disturbance. All sea turtles and their eggs are strictly protected under Sri Lanka’s Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. Reputable conservation projects operate under licences issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
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