48. Hikkaduwa (Sri Lanka)

25.11.21-28.11.21

In Bentota we now get back on the train and continue south to Hikkaduwa. The journey is exciting and beautiful again!

In Hikkaduwa we have a room a bit outside with a very nice family right on the beach!

The Hikkaduwa Beach is known to tourists and there are many bars and restaurants on the beach - of course, there used to be more before the pandemic, but at least there are a few guests in the beach bars and we enjoy drinks and fresh fish on the beach!

And then came our surprising Turtlesday! As we walk along the beach, we suddenly discover 5 giant turtles in the bay! Incredible!

And then in the evening - still flashed by our encounter - about 150-200 small turtles actually hatch while we are sitting in the beach bar with wine and beer next to us and dig themselves out of the sand!

At first we were a little worried because the bartenders collected all the turtles and put them in a big plastic bowl...it didn't make sense to us because we thought the little ones would automatically run to the water. But that's not true - because when it's bright, like here for example with the light in the bar, they don't orient themselves to the sound of the sea but run towards the light, into the bar! So when they were all hatched, we brought them together in the bowl to a darker spot and let them run into the sea!

In the end, we are incredibly happy about this indescribable spectacle! It really takes a lot of luck and coincidence to be at the right place at the right time! Since we have already experienced the same thing a few years ago in the Philippines, we would not have thought that we would be able to observe such an impressive natural experience again! 🐢❤