News
When Colombo’s nocturnal guardians come ashore to protect nesting turtles
View(s):By Malaka Rodrigo
Colombo is a centre for wildlife enthusiasts who are often drawn by the ocean’s calming rhythms, meeting at seaside restaurants and bars along the Wellawatte–Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia beachfront. The plight of sea turtles could be among the topics they discuss, but one would rarely imagine that just beyond those lively venues, on the same stretch of sand, turtles still arrive quietly to nest, carrying out their ancient ritual at the city’s very edge.
Sri Lanka’s main turtle nesting season peaks from November to April, when calmer seas and moonlit nights draw female turtles ashore. During this period, five of the world’s seven marine turtle species; olive ridley, green, hawksbill, loggerhead and occasional leatherback turtles visit the island’s sandy shores, particularly along the south and southwest coasts and parts of the east. Each turtle digs a nest, deposits dozens of eggs, and returns to the sea, leaving hatchlings to emerge 45–60 days later.
Turtle nesting season peaks from November to April, when calmer seas draw female turtles ashore
Some of Sri Lanka’s most important nesting beaches include Rekawa near Tangalle—renowned for hosting all five species—as well as Kosgoda, Induruwa, Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Koggala, Dikwella and Kudawella. The east coast beaches of Panama also see seasonal nesting, while even the northern coast around Jaffna receives occasional visits.
Yet, as Muditha Katuwawala, Executive Director of the Pearl Protectors, points out, one of the most remarkable nesting areas is right in Colombo itself: the urban beaches of Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia and Wellawatte – even on port city, where the presence of nesting turtles often goes unnoticed amid the city’s bustle. 
Nesting turtles face threats on every coastline—from egg poachers to predators like feral dogs and pigs, and natural pressures such as erosion and storms. But in Colombo, there are additional dangers that are uniquely urban, ranging from unplanned coastal development, bright lighting, poaching, roaming dogs to heavy night-time beach use which make nesting particularly precarious, says Mr. Katuwawala.
Amid these challenges, an inspiring citizen-led effort has taken root. The Pearl Protectors’ Turtle Patrol programme, launched in 2022 with support from the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, trains volunteers to patrol the Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia coastline at night. They search for turtle tracks, protect nesting females and—when nests are in unsafe locations—alert the Coast Guard, who relocate the eggs to protected hatcheries under their care. Patrols typically run from January to March, beginning around 10 p.m. until 2 a.m., or well beyond, depending on activity.
Since its inception, the Turtle Patrol has yielded remarkable results. In its first year, volunteers recorded over 90 nesting events along a single one-kilometre stretch. By 2023, the project had safeguarded more than 6,000 eggs. The 2024 season saw rapid expansion: volunteers patrolled for 79 days, trained dozens of new patrollers and protected more than 21,000 eggs from threats ranging from poachers to stray dogs. According to the Pearl Protectors, the 2025 season covered 84 patrol days, documenting 202 olive ridley nests and safeguarding an estimated 21,389 eggs—significant numbers for such an urban coastline.
Elsewhere on the west coast, Panadura has also emerged as an important nesting area. According to the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP), a one-kilometre patrol by their team recorded 160 nests during the 2024/25 season – all of them belonging to Olive Ridley turtles, says TCP project leader Thushan Kapurusinghe.
He notes that olive ridley nesting has increased markedly nationwide, rising from 38 nests in 2022/23 to 130 in 2023/24. Even Odisha in India—the world’s largest nesting ground for olive ridleys—has reported similar increases. Mr. Kapurusinghe emphasises, however, that Sri Lanka is also an important rookery for green turtles, and greater conservation attention is needed to protect their nesting habitats.
Ahead of the upcoming nesting season, the Department of Wildlife Conservation has taken early steps to strengthen national protection efforts. In October, the DWC convened a meeting of wildlife officers and those who maintain turtle hatcheries stationed along key nesting beaches to review past challenges and coordinate strategies for the months ahead. Discussions focused on boosting night patrols, responding more effectively to poaching threats and improving the protection of nests in vulnerable areas. This early coordination, says Rekha Sanjeewani, head of the DWC’s marine unit, aims to create a more systematic and proactive approach to turtle conservation.
There is also growing interest in whether Colombo’s nesting beaches could evolve into a carefully managed form of urban wildlife tourism. Turtle-watching is a popular low-impact activity worldwide, and Sri Lanka has long offered such experiences in places like Rekawa, where TCP conducted a community led tourism initiative. While Colombo’s setting is far more complex, experts believe a controlled model – with strict lighting rules, trained guides, small visitor groups and strong collaboration with beachfront businesses – could one day be feasible.
| Interested in joining the Turtle patrol? Interested readers can join the Pearl Protectors’ Turtle Patrol by registering through their official website. Applicants need to be over 17 years old, and the volunteers are expected to commit to scheduled patrol slots usually night or early-morning walks at least one night a week from January to March 2026. Those who wish to sign up or learn more can visit www.pearlprotectors.org, email info@pearlprotectors.org, or contact the team via their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. | |
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!