A world without turtles is a world less beautiful-by Risidra mendis
Source:Ceylontoday
Far from the hustle and bustle of city life and nestled along the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka is a place of natural beauty and tranquility. The clear blue water and the sounds of the waves, the breathtaking sunrise and the unforgettable sunset over the Indian ocean. This is the Rekawa beach where nature can be experienced at its best.
As the sun rises, the undisturbed beach lights up, with its tall coconut trees and mangroves and all forms of life starting to wake up from their deep slumber. The early sounds of birds and other animals at the Rekawa sanctuary can be heard and the pristine beach with its natural beauty, once again springs back to life.
The beautiful scenic morning of the golden sandy beach and the crystal clear blue water of the ocean, against the backdrop of a clear blue sky, together with the lush greenery mangroves makes one feel one is one with nature.
Rekawa’s pristine coastline is one of a kind as it gives visitors the opportunity of experiencing diverse wildlife; a chance to relax and a retreat for those seeking solace amidst nature’s rich biodiversity in a peaceful and undisturbed environment.
One of the unique aspects of Rekawa’s calm, and peaceful beach is its role as a crucial nesting site for five species of sea turtles: the Green Turtle, the Loggerhead Turtle, the Hawksbill Turtle, the Leatherback Turtle, and the Olive Ridley Turtle.
Eggs and hatchlings
They come late at night or during the early morning hours, slowly crawling along the quiet beach, to find that ideal spot to lay their eggs. Once the eggs are laid, they go back to the sea, never to see their eggs hatch or their hatchlings finding their way back to the ocean.
Rekawa’s Turtle Conservation Project (TCP) plays a vital role in preserving this endangered species by monitoring nesting activities, protecting eggs, and educating both locals and tourists about the importance of conservation.
Visitors to the Rekawa Beach have the extraordinary opportunity to witness the awe-inspiring sight of mother turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs during the nesting season.
TCP’s conservation efforts not only contribute to the survival of these magnificent creatures but also enhance the overall environmental health of the region.
Those who were Turtle egg collectors and turtle hunters in the area are now nest protectors, who keep watch throughout the night, to ensure that the turtle eggs are protected while they get ready to hatch thereby ensuring others get a glimpse of the wonders of sea turtle nesting.
The beach is not only a sanctuary for sea turtles but also a haven for bird enthusiasts. The Rekawa Lagoon, located close by, is a hotspot for bird watching, offering a glimpse of a myriad of avian species. From vibrant coloured kingfishers to majestic eagles, the diverse bird life in the area adds to the natural biodiversity of the Rekawa Beach.
Migratory birds
At the end of the dry season (end of April), thousands of migratory birds fly here from India to feed at the drying lagoons. Wildlife around the Rekawa Beach also includes mongoose, monkeys, kingfishers, the Sri Lankan giant squirrel, peacocks, and many other animals.
However the peaceful early morning on the Rekawa beach soon turned to one of chaos and destruction. It wasn’t the clean sandy beach, the tall coconut trees and the mangrove vegetation that was to be seen.
In its place on the coast were cut down coconut trees, destroyed mangroves and signs of an illegal structure slowly coming up by the side of the beach.
In one night, the calm serenity of the once pure Rekawa beach was destroyed. Horrified villagers were speechless at the destruction they witnessed the following morning. After so many long years, the undisturbed nature of Rekawa and the beautiful scenic beauty was no more.
“This is the number one turtle nesting rookery in the country. Rekawa’s beautiful beach is the best tourist attraction and destination for turtle watching as five of the seven turtle species come here. The Rekawa sanctuary has also been listed as one of the Top 10 eco-friendly destinations in the world,” Chairman TCP Thushan Kapurusinghe told Ceylon Today.
Illegal activities
Going down memory lane Kapurusinghe recalls the time in 1993 when the Rekawa area was one of many illegal activities. “The breaking of corals in the Rekawa sea, the cutting of mangroves, the illegal collecting of turtle eggs and killing turtles for their meat, digging and draining sand to collect shells, and selling them to make limestone were rampant at that time,” Kapurusinghe explained.
He goes on to say that in 1996 they got the help of the villagers and started a programme to protect the turtles in Rekawa. “In 2006 with the intervention of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) Rekawa was declared a sanctuary to protect the nesting turtles and became the Rekawa Turtle Sanctuary,” Kapurusinghe said.
“We then introduced a programme called the Rekawa Turtle Watch (RTW). When this project was started tourism was at zero level at that time. We introduced tourism to the area by promoting the nesting turtles,” Kapurusinghe explained.
the Ceylon Tourist Board now known as the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) developed three nature trails at that time and villagers from the area were trained as tourist guides.
“For financial sustainability we initiated a nature tourism programme. This programme is now financially sustainable. In 2012 we created a community based organisation called Nature Friends of Rekawa (NFR) and gave them the opportunity of handling turtle conservation in the area,” Kapurusinghe said.
Turtle conservation and tourism
He goes on to say that turtle conservation has benefitted the whole village community and improved tourism. “Hotels and guest houses have come up to providing accommodation for tourists and locals visiting to see the turtle sanctuary. The restaurants provide meals for the visitors. Bicycles can be hired from Rakewa to cycle in the area,” Kapurusinghe said.
Tourists coming to Rekawa can be taken on tours to the Yala National Park, Bundala National Park and the Udawalawe National Park he says and lagoon tourism can also be promoted.
“A visitor centre at a cost of Rs 40 million was built recently to further promote the activities taking place there. The proposed hotel has been allocated in an area belonging to the Rekawa sanctuary where turtles come to lay their eggs. In one night that entire area was destroyed. A bulldozer was brought and the entire area was flattened. Coconut trees were cut down and mangroves destroyed in large numbers,” Kapurusinghe explained.
He says nature tourism and the Rekawa sanctuary is presently under threat. Soon after the incident took place Kapurusinghe informed the Coast Conservation Department (CCD), the DWC, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and the Divisional Secretary in Tangalle.
“The Divisional Secretary in Tangalle sent a letter to the DWC saying they had not given permission to build a hotel in this area and that they were not informed about the building of a hotel within the sanctuary. They requested the DWC not to give permission for such activities that would destroy the environment in that area,” Kapurusinghe said.
He says the CEA said they would inform the DWC because the area comes under them as it is the Rekawa sanctuary.
According to reliable sources the CCD had contacted the DWC and the DWC had given permission in the form of a letter for the building of a hotel within the Rekawa sanctuary.
DWC unaware of illegal hotel
When Ceylon Today contacted Director General DWC Chandana Sooriyabandara, he said he was not aware of a hotel being built within the Rekawa sanctuary and requested us to ask the relevant wildlife officer of the area.
“If the building of hotels starts in this area and the turtles get disturbed they will stop coming to lay their eggs. This will affect tourism and result in a complete collapse of tourism in Rekawa. It will affect the livelihoods of the people in the area and result in social issues, economic issues and environment issues,” Kapurusinghe said.
He says among the other threats presently faced by the sanctuary are, some guest house operators who put sun beds on the beach where turtles come to nest. “This is a threat to the turtles. A sudden increase in dog populations is another threat to the nesting turtles. These dogs belong to the hotels and houses close by. They come to the beach in the night in search of food which is a threat to nesting turtles and baby turtles,” Kapurusinghe explained.
He says the nesting turtles come at night to lay their eggs and the baby turtles hatch in the night and make their way to the sea at night. “We have to prevent the dogs from coming to the beach at night. An increase in the peacock populations is yet another threat to the turtles as they eat turtle eggs and baby turtles. The Rekawa beach is also under threat due to sea erosion. The wetakeiya bushes are destroyed due to the rough sea,” Kapurusinghe explained.
These bushes control the hot sun and help the turtle eggs to hatch under suitable temperatures. “The right temperature is very important for the sex determination of the turtles. If the temperature is too hot female baby turtles are born and if the temperature is less male baby turtles are born. The temperature difference can result in more female baby turtles or more male baby turtles are born,” Kapurusinghe said.
Concrete walls built close to the beach also cause harm to the nesting turtles he says because when sea erosion takes place, these concrete walls break and fall on the beach and can destroy turtle eggs and young hatchlings.
