Turtle Point · our bay
Turtle Point, as people call our bay, is where wild sea turtles come to feed on the reef, often a few metres from the beach. Nobody keeps them here and nobody feeds them: they come because the bay is calm. We lend you a mask, and we ask you to be a good guest.
Before you swim
If you are lucky
Turtles often climb our beach at night to lay their eggs. It is one reason we keep our stretch of sand clean and as gentle a slope as the sea allows. On nesting nights we turn the lights off and move the sunbeds back from the water's edge.
Beside us, our neighbour Gayan, who has lived on this coast for many years, runs a small turtle protection centre. He collects the eggs laid in the area so that nobody takes them, lets them hatch in a clean protected place, and when the hatchlings are strong he releases them to the sea behind the reef, where more of them have a chance.
Some evenings that happens here, between our two palms, between 17:00 and 19:00, with the restaurant's lights turned off. Nobody can promise it or book it. If you are at your table when it does, you will not forget it.
Make a day of it
Swim early, lunch after · per person
Meet the turtles of the bay the right way, then sit down to the catch of the day.
8,900 LKR per person
Reserve on WhatsApp08:00 to 21:00 · per person
Come with nothing planned. Breakfast, lunch, something in the afternoon and dinner, with your sunbed waiting all day.
19,900 LKR per person
Reserve on WhatsAppPrices in Sri Lankan rupees, plus the 10% service charge. Reserve the day before when you can: the passes are few.
Good to know
They are wild, so nobody can promise. They are seen most early in the morning and around sunset, often only a few metres from the beach.
The turtles feed in shallow water close to the reef. Stay where you are comfortable, and never swim alone if you are unsure. From May to September, swim only on calm days.
Masks are lent free at the bar, in children's sizes too.
When someone from the team is free, they can come into the water with you: ask at the bar. We always show you where to walk in and where the urchins are.
Many small fish, and big ones too. And sea urchins in the rocks: take care, and walk in where the sand is clear.
What guests say
Super nice cafe with lovely people and a beach where you can see turtles!The magic word
You found us here, so here is a little secret. Say it at the till when you order and a Ceylon Cinnamon Iced Tea is on us.
One for the table, with anything you order, on your first visit after reading this.
From the guide
Turtles and the bay · 5 min
A practical guide to snorkeling near wild sea turtles, with the distance to keep, how to approach, what never to do, and how to explain it to children.
Read
Turtles and the bay · 5 min
What scientists know and do not know about sunscreen and coral reefs, which ingredients to look for, and why shade and clothing are the first choice.
ReadTurtles and the bay · 5 min
The five sea turtles nesting in Sri Lanka, how to tell them apart in the water, which ones you may meet on the south coast, and how the law protects them.
Read
Turtles and the bay · 5 min
Where sea urchins live on Sri Lanka's south coast, how to keep your feet away from them, and what medical sources say to do if you step on one.
ReadTurtles and the bay · 5 min
Seven places to snorkel near Hiriketiya and Dikwella, the months when the sea is calm and clear, what you may see under water, and what to bring with you.
ReadTurtles and the bay · 4 min
Where wild sea turtles are seen near Hiriketiya and Dikwella, when to look, how to behave around them in the water, and what to bring for the swim.
ReadCome and see
Turtle Beach, New Tangalle Road, Batigama, Dikwella 81200, Sri Lanka
Breakfast 08:00–11:00 · lunch and dinner 11:00–21:00 · every day
Less than five minutes from Hiriketiya by tuk-tuk or scooter.
After the swim
