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Sallitivu Island – uninhabited islet in Vakarai – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Located in *Batticaloa District in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka and significant due to its rich biodiversity, the islet is connected to the mainland over a sand bar approximately 200 meters in length. During the high tide as well as during the low tide, this sand bar is exposed, few inches below water. The islet is protected by a ring of coral reef with a 200-meter wide reef on the eastern side. During the high tide season, the sand strip gets covered with water and the sea shore is covered with dead corals. Although, the beach is wide and is pristine, it is covered with a thick layer of washed in coral rubble after the Tsunami that occurred in 2004. According to research conducted in the area, it was discovered that majority of the coral reef is not ...