How it means to us ... yes truly Sri Lankans
Sri Lanka is the most beautiful country to me. We have been gifted with the most beautiful sceneries in our up country, coastal regions and also with our cultural heritage.' 'A land like no other,' would have been the most appropriate introduction to this marvelous land which has beenranked among the world's 25 bio-diversity hot spots. From the pristine forests, verdant hills, the unique fauna and flora, the spectacular wildlife and many more add to its wonder.
The tropical climate of the island aided by the two monsoon seasons is largely responsible for unique and natural wealth of its ecological sites. Also, country has five basic climatic regions which supports the countries biodiversity. It has the ecological splendour from the red earth and scrub forest of the dry zone, to the richness of the tropical rain forest; from the coastal mangroves alive with bird life to the breathtaking beauty of the hill country, replete with spectacular waterfalls and mist drenched montage forest.
Those mentioned below are a mere drop from that ocean which are strewn all across the island.
Botanical Gardens and Natural Parks
To a botanist, this is a land of a great value. The diversified climate allows for the growth of tropical as well as sub-tropical trees. The luxuriant undergrowth and tall majestic trees of the wet-zone tropical forest contrast with the arid scrub land and talipot palms of the dry north.
In the hills, vegetation varies from the almost treeless Patnas of Horton Plains to the dark cloud forests, wreathed with the protected Old Man's Beard Moss. From March to May, numerous flowering trees such as the fiery Poincianan regia, the white Mesua ferrera and the cherry blossom-like Tebebuia burst into bloom. Flowering Orchids include endemic varieties as well. Along the coast bordering estuaries and lagoons, are the mangrove habitats which provide sanctuary for the island's diverse coastal fishery resources.
Sri Lanka consists of several Natural wildlife parks as well as planned Botanical & Zoological gardens which preserves the countries flora & fauna or the viewers as well as researchers.
Botanical Gardens
Key Botanical Gardens are situated in Peradeniya , Haggala, Nuwara Eliya & Gampaha areas. The Royal Botanical Garden Paradeniya near Kandy is world famous inclusive of a variety of fauna and flora is also famed for its Orchid House, which has more than 300 varieties of exquisite orchids from the rare indigenous Foxtail and Vesak orchids.
Also, many natural and hybrid species laying claim to the title as one of the best known orchid centers in the world. The Herbarium grows many of the plants used for the traditional Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia.
Hakgala Gardens near Nuwara Eliya is smaller in comparison to the aforementioned garden but it boasts of an unique blend of flora due to its elevation of 1,707 metres above sea level. The sheer rock of Hakgala which literally means Jaw Rock is linked to the Rama-Ravana legend and rises 1,500 feet from the gardens, adding character to its surroundings.
In addition, there is a small but very beautiful garden, in the town of Nuwara Eliya town, which is called Victoria Garden attracting the attention of the viewers and can be called as a must view spot. The Botanical Gardens in Gampaha houses a number of ancient trees belonging to the 19th century inclusive of the remnants of the first rubber trees which are considered a national monument. It is situated approximately 1km from the Gampaha town.
National Wild Life Parks
Yala is located in the south eastern corner of the island. It's northern boundaries border the Lahugala Elephant Sanctuary and it has the added bonus of scenic ocean frontage. The terrain is a varied course of flat plains altering with rocky outcrops. The vegetation ranges from open park lands to dense jungle. Water holes, small lakes, lagoons and streams provide water for the animals and birds. The specialty here is the large numbers of elephants.
Uda Walawe National ParkThis park lies within the Ratnapura and Monaragala Districts and acts as the catchment to the Uda Walawe Reservoir, and is located in the dry zone. It comprises grasslands, thorn scrubs, and many valuable species of trees.
Horton Plains National Park is the only national park situated in the hill country. The panoramic beauty of the hill county is witnessed within the park. Endemic slender Loris and purple monkeys are among the animal species that can be seen. In addition to above, we can clearly observe how the growth of the trees changes from one zone to another. Also , we can visit Baker's falls witness its beauty .
All species of water birds residents of the country and migrant birds inhabit in the Bundala National Park. Gal Oya National Park is situated 260 km from Colombo at Inginiyagala, the Gal Oya National Park is most renowned for its elephant population.
Wasgamuwa National Park lies within the Polonnaruwa and Matale Districts. It has the Mahaweli and Amban Rivers at its eastern and western borders. Its environment is predominated by tropical evergreen forest. It can be considered as most valuable spots where you can view elephants and many other animals in their natural habitats. The staff is very much supportive towards visitors in finding accommodation as well as hiring vehicles to go inside the park.
Apart form the wildlife parks ,The Sinharaja forest complex can be considered as a unique paste where you can observe large number of diversified species from the unique to the threatened. The Knuckles Mountain Range has a rare species of woody plants, endemic birds, fish, butterflies and reptiles. In here, you can visit the villages and people who still follows and lives by ancient traditions and lifestyles.
Wild sanctuaries and Zoological Parks
The Zoological park in Dehiwala and The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, can be considered as our two key planned Wild sanctuaries. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage was established in 1975 with a very few number. Today some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their grandchildren born in the same location. The success story of Pinnawela has drawn the attention of scientists from all over the world.
Apart form above we can observe animals in their natural habitats in all Wild Life Parks.
Aquatic Life
With cascading waterfalls and as many as 103 rivers, all major groups of vertebrates can be found in Sri Lanka. Of these, the highest endemic species are found in the amphibian and reptile group. Most of the 107 species of fish are found in marsh and river dwelling. The 39 endemic species – the Carplet group – being restricted to the perennial streams of the wet zone. Of the 54 species of amphibians, 33 are endemic to the island.
According to ongoing research, the largest number of endemic amphibian fauna in the world may soon be found in Sri Lanka. One endemic genus, the Nannophyrus, with three species, is common in the wet zone living on rock ledges, covered by a continuous trickle of water, and sharing the same habitat with tadpoles. Marine turtles ,Dolphin/Whale, can be seen in the Sri Lankan Oceans, Kirinda , Bentota , Batticaloa , Weligama , Negombo and Chilaw .
Turtles were roaming the oceans for about 190 million years. Sri Lanka is famous for five kinds of turtles who regularly visit the sandy beaches to nest in the south-western and south-eastern beaches. Some of the whales can be seen is Common Blue Whales , Bryde's Whales , Sperm Whales , Killer Whales , False Killer , Dwarf , Melon Headed Whales , Cuvier's Beaked Whales and if lucky, the elusive Indian Blue Whales. Dolphines seen include Spotted Dolphins, Spinner Dolphins, Fraser's Dolphins, Risso's Dolphins, Common Dolphins and the Bottlenose Dolphins.
Also, a wide coral shelf surrounds Sri Lanka’s coast at intervals, from north to south. The discovery of the beautiful underwater natural world in Sri Lanka will make you absolutely fascinated and spell bound. The blue green, turquoise and aquamarine waters are home for the magical and mysterious underwater world of coral veets, shells and a fantastic variety of fish. The adventure of scuba diving can be easily combined with activities like underwater photography and fish identification.
The coral world offers beautiful species such as Rays, Eels, Clown Fish, Porcupine, Moorish Idol, Unicorn and Moorish Angle. The common species belonging to the families of Aroporidae (Staghorn Corals), Poritidae (Donnie Corals), Mussidae (Brain Corals), faviidae (Ster Corals) and Pocelloporidae (Flower Corals) are also found here.
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