Kosgoda Turtle Care
Kosgoda Turtle Care
4.5
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
About
Kosgoda Turtle Care program aims to protect sea turtle eggs and increase hatching rates. We not only do hatching, but also we treat disabled Turtles and treat the weak ones due to fishing. Our staff patrols the beach all night looking for mother sea turtles that come out of the ocean to lay their eggs. Entry fee 500 RS, release of baby turtles (in the evening) 1000 RS. Please tip your guide if you enjoyed the tour. Additional donations to the centre is warmly welcomed. Call Santha if you are in any doubt or want to experience a turtle release in the dawn.
Duration: < 1 hour
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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4.5
52 reviews
Excellent
29
Very good
15
Average
5
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Vinod M
Mumbai, India226 contributions
Jan 2020
the person who guided us through the turtle hatchery was an old gentleman with lots of stories and good sense of humor.
he showed us how to identify baby turtles who are 1 day,2 day and 3 day old.
there were also other turtles kept in the tanks,who are being looked after,because they cannot go out in the ocean alone.
there were half albino turtles and we were introduced to different types of turtles(5 types in all)
it was amazing for our kids as they were very excited to hold the baby turtles in their hands.
their happiness was worth the entire trip.
he showed us how to identify baby turtles who are 1 day,2 day and 3 day old.
there were also other turtles kept in the tanks,who are being looked after,because they cannot go out in the ocean alone.
there were half albino turtles and we were introduced to different types of turtles(5 types in all)
it was amazing for our kids as they were very excited to hold the baby turtles in their hands.
their happiness was worth the entire trip.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nelson
Lisbon, Portugal12 contributions
Feb 2020
We were amazed with this place, it’s very simple but very caring! We started our tour knowing about the endemic marine turtles species in Sri Lanka and their characteristics. Mr. Amarasena Fernando showed us the biological life cycle of the turtle from the egg hatch to the turtle release into the ocean. There are some tanks where he keeps the turtles to make sure they are fit to be safely released to the ocean. There are tanks with adult turtles with disabilities making them vulnerable in the wild life, so Fernando keeps them and they can be adopted. The turtles recognise him as a father, it shows the care and love he gives them. He is so proud about Sri Lanka be a home for the 5 on 8 marine turtle species and he is concern about the human impact that affects their habitat. So he tries to maintain their lives going on and his project is all about creating knowledge and touch people about wild life concerns in real threats, such as plastic. We recommend everyone to visit the place and support his project.
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Best Tours Bentota
Bentota, Sri Lanka46 contributions
Apr 2019 • Friends
It is Best service and best location. You can stay like your want time. Lots of tourists coming this place.
Written 13 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael C
Melbourne, Australia5,966 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
Interesting experience but was not sure that tourists should be handling the baby turtles. Our 'guide' was also quick to leave us when we hesitated at the 'donation' box (we did later contribute).
Written 26 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sofie F
Stockholm, Sweden40 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
We visited during the day and got a guided tour with information about all the different turtles, we got to take pictures and handle them with help. We also got to see babies crawling out of their eggs.
The next evening we got to visit again and go down to a beautiful deserted beach at sunset. We released about 30 baby turtles and watched them swim away. Many turtle places in Kosgoda this one has an albino turtle and is run by Santha. An unforgettable experience for us and our children.
The next evening we got to visit again and go down to a beautiful deserted beach at sunset. We released about 30 baby turtles and watched them swim away. Many turtle places in Kosgoda this one has an albino turtle and is run by Santha. An unforgettable experience for us and our children.
Written 28 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ari569
Southern Finland, Finland18 contributions
Feb 2020
Visited Turtle Care center in teh mornign. We were told about the turtles and thei operation, where they spot turtle mamas when rising to shore, protect them while nesting, and then carefully remove eggs from open beach to safe and guarded hatchery. We were allowed to transfer some newborn baby turtles to water pool, where tehy are cared and looked after for few days before releasing them to the sea.
They also take care of injured turtles.
They also take care of injured turtles.
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LivCallan
Melbourne, Australia29 contributions
Jan 2019
Paid 1000 rupees to get in. My guide was friendly and informative.
This is a family run conservation centre where you can also stay and volunteer.
I believe they truly care about the turtles and it is good to have places such as this to improve the number of turtles who successfully hatch by keeping the turtle eggs safe from predators.
However:
*the pools for the long term turtle residents (injured and albino) were way too small. Please improve this, it is very sad to see such grand creatures kept in small shallow pools
*the focus on touching all the turtles made me a bit uncomfortable, I don’t think this is good for them? My guide kept on encouraging me to touch each turtle on the tour (even after I declined a few times) or even pick up a big turtle. I wish they would not tell people to touch them so much. Where I am now (Hikladuwa) there are signs on the beach specifically prohibiting people from touching the turtles and saying it is an offence.
This is a family run conservation centre where you can also stay and volunteer.
I believe they truly care about the turtles and it is good to have places such as this to improve the number of turtles who successfully hatch by keeping the turtle eggs safe from predators.
However:
*the pools for the long term turtle residents (injured and albino) were way too small. Please improve this, it is very sad to see such grand creatures kept in small shallow pools
*the focus on touching all the turtles made me a bit uncomfortable, I don’t think this is good for them? My guide kept on encouraging me to touch each turtle on the tour (even after I declined a few times) or even pick up a big turtle. I wish they would not tell people to touch them so much. Where I am now (Hikladuwa) there are signs on the beach specifically prohibiting people from touching the turtles and saying it is an offence.
Written 30 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Staidthere
Jakarta, Indonesia2,621 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
On Youtube we can still watch Katherine Hepburn's "Sebastian saw the face of God," a scene from "Suddenly Last Summer." In the story, Sebastian found truth watching newly-hatched baby sea turtles race to the sea to escape the flesh-eating birds that tore their soft undersides open and ate them. Now fishermen dig out and sell as many eggs as they can, leaving fewer turtle babies every year. Nature's balance is restored by a few caring humans who buy eggs, hatch them, and return turtles to the sea. One of several hatcheries on the west coast of Sri Lanka is conservationist Amarasena Fernando's Kosgoda Turtle Care. They sell some T-shirts and tote bags in a small store and they ask for voluntary donations after you pay Rs. 1,000 per person for admission and hear of their programs and activities. We feel a visit is enlightening and worth the cost. We wish them well in their endeavors to overcome what economists call the "Tragedy of the Commons." It's hard to find, so best to phone first.
Written 30 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George B
Brighton, UK39 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
My wife and I visited while staying at at the rui hotel it's only ten minutes away. Our guide was excellent and spoke good English. It's not expensive so worth a visit to see the turtle's and learn of there care. I'm against anything in captivity so it was nice to go back in the evening and see them returned back to the sea
Written 16 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CarolVonTrapp
Yorkshire, UK59 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
This was hands down the best thing I did in Sri Lanka. It was great to see the care shown to the injured turtles who are cared for here, and getting the chance to release the babies into the sea at sunset was just incredible.
Written 9 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Guys, any recommendations for a good seafood restaurant closeby?
Written 24 November 2016
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