Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary

Few protected areas anywhere have a conservation history quite as bumpy as Kalametiya’s: declared a sanctuary in 1938, deregulated just eight years later specifically to allow British colonists to hunt ducks, and only properly restored in 1984 after a sustained campaign by conservationists.

Declared, Undone, and Restored

Kalametiya’s history as a protected area is genuinely unusual among Sri Lanka’s conservation sites. It was first declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1938, covering an ambitious 2,500 hectares of coastal wetland, one of the earliest such designations anywhere on the island. That protection didn’t last: in 1946, under pressure from local residents and, according to some accounts, specifically to allow British colonial officials to continue duck hunting in the area, the sanctuary status was abolished entirely, leaving the wetland in a precarious, unprotected legal position for decades.

It took a sustained campaign by conservationists to reverse that decision, and in 1984 a considerably reduced area, stretching from Kalametiya Lagoon to the adjoining Lunama Lagoon, was formally gazetted as a sanctuary once again. That back-and-forth history makes Kalametiya something of a case study in how conservation gains, even ones made decades ago, can’t always be taken for granted, and how much sustained advocacy it can take to restore protections once they’re lost.

A Rich, Compact Wetland Ecosystem

Despite its reduced size compared to its original 1938 designation, Kalametiya remains ecologically significant, forming part of a wider coastal belt known locally as “Ruk,” stretching roughly from Tangalle to Hambantota and encompassing Kalametiya, Rekawa and the unusual serpentine rock formation at Ussangoda. The sanctuary’s mix of saltwater lagoons, mangrove swamp, reedbeds, scrubland and salt marsh supports over 150 recorded bird species, including 54 migratory visitors that arrive seasonally, alongside four nationally threatened bird species and 38 species of reptile considered threatened either nationally or globally.

Breeding colonies of pelicans, herons, egrets and open-billed storks make their home here, joined by large wintering populations of migratory ducks and shorebirds, while kingfishers, weaver birds and eagles are among the more commonly spotted residents on a typical lagoon tour.

Visiting Tips

• Book a guided lagoon safari through an established local operator for the best wildlife spotting and lowest environmental impact.
• Visit at dawn for the most active birdlife and cooler temperatures, or late afternoon as an alternative.
• Combine with nearby Rekawa Beach and the Ussangoda serpentine rock formation for a fuller day covering the wider “Ruk” coastal belt.
• Bring binoculars and a camera with a good zoom lens, given the sanctuary’s rich and varied birdlife.

A Small Sanctuary With an Outsized Lesson

Kalametiya’s uneven history offers a useful reminder that conservation status is a policy decision, not a permanent guarantee, subject to reversal whenever political pressure or competing interests shift. That a designated wildlife sanctuary could be abolished specifically to accommodate recreational hunting by colonial officials, and then left unprotected for nearly forty years before advocates managed to restore it, says something about how fragile even seemingly settled conservation wins can be. For visitors exploring the lagoon today, admiring pelicans and kingfishers from a quiet canoe, it’s worth remembering that this particular stretch of wetland survived not through inevitability but through the sustained effort of people who refused to let its earlier loss stand unchallenged.

Where It Sits on the Map

Frequently Asked Questions

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