Text and pictures by PRIYAN DE SILVA

Hoteliers in Mirissa say that in the first two months of this year, twenty three [23] partially devoured carcasses of Turtles have been discovered on a stretch of beach known as ‘Turtle Beach’ in Mirissa.

They say that the turtles fall prey when they come ashore in the night or early morning, to lay their eggs on the beach. All the carcases have been found within a 150 meter stretch of beach and the last to be discovered were two carcasses on the morning of 1st March 2025

Mirissa is a popular tourist resort renowned for its beaches, watersports and marine life which include whales and Turtles. The hoteliers lamented that no action has been taken to identify the predator / predators or protect the Turtles as yet.

Sri Lanka is home to five of the seven species of sea turtles found in the world, namely the Leather Backs, Loggerheads, Olive Riddley, Hawksbill and Green turtles. It has been estimated that the lifespan of a turtle exceeds fifty years.