This is an evening outing from Mirissa to a turtle hatchery on Sri Lanka's southern coast, where you help release newly hatched baby turtles into the sea. You are picked up from your hotel in Mirissa in an air-conditioned vehicle, with an English-speaking chauffeur guide for the evening.
At the hatchery you learn about the life cycle of sea turtles and the pressures they face along this coast, where several species come ashore to nest. Eggs are collected and buried in protected sand at the hatchery until they hatch.
The part most people come for is the release itself. The hatchlings are set down on the sand near the water's edge and you watch them scramble down the beach, leaving small tracks behind them, towards the waves. Afterwards you are driven back to your hotel in Mirissa.
Turtle releases take place from February to June only, and always in the evening. The tour includes transport throughout, the chauffeur guide, hotel pick-up and drop-off in Mirissa, all entrance fees to the turtle hatchery and conservation centres, bottled mineral water per person, and all taxes and service charges. Food, drinks, gratuities and personal expenses are not included.
