UGA | Ulagalla Experience | Kayaking | Jungle Kayak
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 0.79 nm
- Elevation gain
- 3 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 3 ft
- Max elevation
- 394 ft
- TrailRank
- 24
- Min elevation
- 377 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 17 minutes
- Coordinates
- 24
- Uploaded
- December 19, 2020
- Recorded
- December 2020
near Galkiriyagama, North Central (Sri Lanka)
Viewed 274 times, downloaded 2 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
Waypoints
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Wannamaduwwa Tank
The Wannammaduiwa Tank is our largest neighbouring waterhole, and is thought to date back to the time of King Mahasena, and the Anuradhapura era, in the third century AD. The tank extends some 100 acres and is usually beautifully festooned with water lilies and lotus flowers in whites, pinks and purples. Edging the tank, and dominant in this area, are stands of kumbuk – water loving trees that are often found in dry regions of the island.
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Aquatic bird life
The tank attracts a rich variety of water birds. These include herons, storks, egrets, grebes, cormorants, swamp hens, water hens, coots, pelicans and kingfishers (including the Stork-billed Kingfisher, the largest of Sri Lanka's seven kingfisher varieties).
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Lake flowers
For most of the year you can see exotic flowers flourishing in the tank. Two main species predominate - water lilies and lotus. The pale blue water lily, or nil manel flower, is Sri Lanka's national flower. It is believed to symbolise virtue, purity and discipline. Lilies also come in shades of fuscia, purple and white, and have a star-like appearance. The flowers bloom in the daytime and the leaves at the surface of the water are round and green with undulating edges. You may see frogs resting on these leaves, or vibrant dragonflies hovering in wait. Lotus prefer shallower water and their flowers may also appear pink, white and purple.
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Village bathing location
Sri Lankans across the country often use irrigation canals, rivers and lakes as a free source of bathing water. The Wannammaduwa Tank is a popular (and picturesque) bathing place. Towards the end of the day villagers converge to wash in the cool waters. Some may have bathing facilities at home, but given that water supplies in rural areas such as ours can sometimes be intermittent or unreliable, they may prefer bathing in the lake.
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Jungle bird life and reptiles
Within our resort and our local surroundings we've discovered over 100 bird species. Those living amidst a canopy of coconut and palmyrah palms, fig trees and kumbuk include the Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, the Black-headed Oriole and the Brown Fish Owl. Some of the local endemics to look out for include the Grey Hornbill and the Ceylon Jungle Fowl. When kayaking we often see monitor lizards. These are the largest lizards we have in Sri Lanka and their appearance is decidedly prehistoric. There are two varieties – land (thalagoya) and water (kabaragoya). Water Monitors are larger (not dissimilar to a small crocodile), and built for the water – the largest ever recorded registered over three metres long.
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Lake fishing
Fish is a firm staple in the Sri Lankan diet. Most fish consumed on the island comes from the ocean though freshwater fish is the mainstay in rural, inland regions such as ours. In our neighbouring lakes, you're very likely to see village fishermen. They fish with a line but may often be seen casting nets in the evening and then returning the next morning to draw them in. Fishermen then sell their catch to local vendors who hawk their produce from the back of bicycles or motorbikes equipped with weighing scales, loudly calling out ‘marlu’ (which means fish), as they scoot up and down lanes. The Mozambique Tilapia – a fish species native to Africa that was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 1950s to boost freshwater fish stocks – is the mainstay of most local diets and used to make curries. Other fish found in these lakes include catfish, golden carp and eel.
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