Life style
Protecting sea turtles
By Zinara Rathnayake
Sea turtles help sustain the ocean eco-systems by maintaining vegetation and helping coral reefs thrive. But today, these majestic creatures are facing extinction threats. Many turtles get trapped in fishing nets in the ocean and near commercial fisheries. Other human-caused threats include loss of nesting grounds, egg extraction and climate change.
Thankfully, people and organizations are dedicated to protecting these gentle animals, like Isuru Abrew and his team at the Victor Hasselblad Sea Turtle Research & Conservation Centre on the western coast of Sri Lanka.
Seven species of sea turtles call the world’s oceans home, and Sri Lankan waters are home to five of them. While male turtles never swim ashore, females head to coastal sandbanks for nesting, and the local Sri Lankan shorelines are ideal habitats.
Seeing sea turtles in the natural habitat is awe inspiring
“Kosgoda and Rekawa — two small coastal villages — are the only places in Sri Lanka where all the five turtles can be spotted,” says Abrew. “They prefer the soft, powdery sand for laying eggs.”
The conservation centre, co-founded by Isuru’s grandfather, Similiyas Abrew, in 1978, works to ensure the surrounding habitat is clean and safe for nesting turtles and operates with the help of local communities and foreign travelers.
Turtle Conservation Efforts
Only one in 1,000 hatchlings survive until adulthood in the wild, and the conservation center takes various measures to increase those odds.
“It’s important to protect every egg and hatchling, which is necessary for the survival of the sea turtles and our ocean habitats,” Abrew says.
Female turtles seek quiet, dark stretches of sand to lay their eggs, and artificial lighting near the shoreline can discourage them from nesting or lead them to deposit their eggs at less optimal nesting grounds or even in the ocean — dimming baby turtles’ chances for survival.
Further, because young hatchlings reach the open sea by crawling toward the brightest direction — the ocean with moonlight reflection — brightly lit coastal buildings can cause them to become disoriented and wander inland, where they become the prey of predators and poachers.
With this in mind, the conservation centre maintains a three-mile-long flashlight-free area on the beach where turtles frequent the shores for nesting.
“We aim to maximize the number of hatchlings reaching the ocean,” Abrew says.
A primary unit of the sanctuary is the hatchery, where collected and rescued eggs hatch safely without facing any threats from predators and poachers. Once the eggs hatch, the centre keeps baby turtles for a short period of time inside the sanctuary, providing necessary care until they are strong enough to be released into the ocean.
This process, known as headstarting, helps increase their chances for survival in the wild. Abrew’s team also organizes beach cleanups to protect the nesting. Hotel guests can also take part in releasing the hatchlings and join a night-patrolling tour at the beach. The patrol deters poachers, and if participants are lucky, they might be able to witness the mesmerizing sight of a grown female turtle heading ashore to lay eggs.
Releasing sea turtles is an extraordinary experience.
The resort dims exterior lighting at night to avoid misdirecting hatchlings, and in a unique attempt to educate guests about the sea turtles, the drink menu at the poolside restaurant is also inspired by the creatures. Each of the menu’s seven cocktails tells a story related to the seven sea turtles of each drink is also the colour of the turtle shell.
Community Work
The Conservation Centre now employs 25 community members as permanent staff who organize guided tours for travellers. “Together with the villagers, we conduct educational tours for schoolchildren,” Abrew says.
Part of the Conservation Centre is a souvenir shop, which sells turtle-themed products for visitors: turtle-inspired cotton T-shirts, sarongs and beach shawls sewn by local women, and soft toys made by regional craftspeople.
“We also aim to extend our volunteer program to guests at Sheraton Kosgoda,” Abrew says. “If travellers can help raise awareness and join our conservation efforts, they not only become part of a memorable experience, they can also ensure the survival of many more baby turtles.”
Living with Nature — and Neighbours
The opening of neighboring Sheraton Kosgoda Turtle Beach Resort has also helped them expand their conservation efforts. Tours at the Conservation Centre are a popular activity for the beachfront resort’s guests.
(Courtesy Marriott Traveller)
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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