Hikkaduwa National Park

Hikkaduwa National Park is one of the three marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The national park contains a fringing coral reef of high degree of biodiversity. The area was declared a wildlife sanctuary on May 18, 1979, and then on August 14, 1988, upgraded to a nature reserve with extended land area.[1] The growth of the number of visitors in the next 25 years increased the degradation of the coral reef. To reduce the effects to the ecosystem, the reef was declared a national park on September 19, 2002.

The national park situated in the wet zone and receives a 2,000 millimetres (79 in) of annual rainfall.[2] The rain is received in both southwestern and northeastern monsoon seasons, from April to June and September to November respectively.[1] Inter-monsoon season is a dry period which is considered the best season to visit the park. The temperature of the water ranges from 28.0°-30.0 °C while the mean annual temperature is 27 °C of the atmosphere.

Hikkaduwa National Park is a popular spot for snorkeling and scuba diving. The park is also a great place to learn about the importance of coral reefs and the marine ecosystem.