Hikkaduwa National Park (Corral Reef) – හික්කඩුව ජාතික වනෝද්යානය (කොරල් පර)
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| Size | 102 hectares |
| Main attractions | Corral and Reef Fish |
Hikkaduwa National Park lies in the popular tourist destination of Hikkaduwa along its beach. The corral reefs on this marine park has made Hikkaduwa Beach one of the most sought after beaches of the country.
In 1940, the Ambalangoda/Hikkaduwa Rocky Islets were declared sanctuaries and was 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 Protecton 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 was decreased from 47 percent to 13 percent in a coral bleaching event in 1998,induced by the 1998 El Nino weather.
Also See
Map of Hikkaduwa National Park (Corral Reef) and Other Places of Interest
The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites
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Travel Directions to Hikkaduwa National Park
Route from Colombo to Hikkaduwa National Park |
| Though : Southern Expressway – Ambalangoda Distance : 113 km Travel time : 2.5 hours Driving directions : see on google map |
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