A vast estuarine lagoon of mangroves, seagrass and mudflats south-east of Mullaitivu, one of Sri Lanka's oldest bird sanctuaries and a haven for migratory waterbirds.

Overview

Kokkilai Lagoon spreads across nearly 3,000 hectares of mangrove swamp, seagrass beds, mudflats and oyster beds where the Mullaitivu and Trincomalee districts meet. Designated a sanctuary in 1951, it is a magnet for water and wading birds, drawing cormorants, egrets, herons, ibis, pelicans, storks and flocks of flamingos, while crocodiles and mud crabs haunt the mangroves. Small boat safaris from the fishing village of Kokkilai offer the best way to explore this rich, little-visited wetland.

History

Kokkilai Lagoon and its surroundings were declared a bird sanctuary on 18 May 1951 under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, making it one of the oldest protected wetlands in the country. Long a rich fishing ground for the surrounding villages, it remains an important stop for birds migrating along Sri Lanka's east coast.