Whale Species
Sri Lankan Southern Coastal area is home for several whale species. Among them, Blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth. These giant mammals lengthen up to 100 feet (30 meters) and upwards of 200 tons. Sperm whale: the largest toothed whale, Killer whale/orca: the toothed whale which belongs to oceanic dolphin family, bottlenose dolphins, spinner dolphins are few others who visits the shores often.
Fun fact: Can you believe that blue whales are one of the loudest animals on the planet? Though we can’t hear them, they communicate with each other using a series of low frequency pulses, groans, and moans. It is thought that in good conditions blue whales can hear each other across distances of up to 1,600km.
Sea Turtles
Olive Ridley Turtle, Leatherback Turtle, Green Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle are some of the turtle species that are nested around Sri Lankan shores. The largest of them is the leatherback sea turtle, it can weigh over 900 kg! (2000 lb.) The Hawksbill has a narrow head and bird-like beak, which is used to catch animals hiding in small crevices. It is a regular visitor to Sri Lanka and other tropical and subtropical waters. Turtles have chosen south coast of Sri Lanka to lay their eggs for generations. Swimming in from the Indian Ocean, they drag themselves up the sand on the beaches and dig their nests, where they leave the eggs. Weeks later, their babies should hatch and make their way down to the coastline and into the water.
Fun fact: Turtles have existed for around 215 million years. Date back to the time of the dinosaurs!
Corals
Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. The colorful coral reefs with tropical fish, marine species living around and shipwrecks with spectacular artificial reefs can be explored at several locations in Sri Lanka’s Southern shores. Corals come in a variety of shapes, sizes and color. Coral reefs in Sri Lanka are categorized under fringing reefs, patchy reefs, sandstone reefs and rocky reefs. Corals in varying degree may also cover the latter two reef types.
Fun fact: Corals are not plants! Actually, they're animals and are, amazingly enough, relatives of jellyfish and anemones. Scientists have discovered that many parts of a coral reef can be harvested to make medications to treat cancers and other illnesses.
