From my villa at the Jetwing Lagoon resort in Negombo, Sri Lanka, 38 km north of Colombo, views stretch out beyond the coconut palms to the Indian Ocean where at dawn, catamarans bob on the horizon. The oceanic roar makes for a sonorous soundtrack as I luxuriate in my own accommodation overlooking the vast Negombo lagoon, one of the largest saltwater coastal peat bog marshes on the island. Interestingly, the lagoon is the recurrent leitmotif throughout my stay in the city. No surprises then that I choose to take a cruise on it to explore the Muthurajawela Marshland also called the ‘Swamp of Royal Treasures.”
The excursion, I’m told, is a core experience in Negombo, a charming Dutch-style coastal city also known as `Little Rome’ referencing the many beautiful churches that pepper it like confetti. “The marshes are a natural paradise filled with picturesque landscapes, swampy mangroves and mindboggling biodiversity. About 40 per cent of the country’s avifauna has been recorded in this area including over 100 species of birds, elusive crocodiles as well as the threatened grey slender loris, one of the most difficult mammals to spot,” informed Romello Perera, General Manager Jetwing Lagoon.
I excitedly strap on a life jacket to begin my aqua adventure. Starting off from a colonial era Dutch canal with naturalist Rohan Peiris, we wind our way through mangrove forests and wetlands that open up to the vast waters of the Negombo Lagoon. We soon foray into an intricate web of mangroves filled with exotic avifauna—cormorants, herons, egrets, waders, coots and kingfishers as well as over 17 species of winter migrants like wagtails, glossy Ibis, shrikes, blue tailed bee eater and the Asian Paradise Flycatcher.
Of course I don’t see all the birds at once, but I do catch sight of many—glossy Ibis, egrets, herons, kingfishers—some perched on treetops, others flapping their wings along the muddy shores. Occasionally, the joyous call of an unknown avian punctuates the pristine wilderness. I’m also advised to keep my peepers peeled for the rare and endemic Slender Loris, Fishing Cat as well as reptiles, amphibians and crocodiles. “Many types of freshwater fish are also found in the waterways, as well as a variety of crabs, prawns and shrimp that appear closer to the Negombo lagoon area. About 10 per cent of all fauna are endemic,” Peiris informs me as I snap photos of a hissing water monitor lurking near us along the shores.
As the boat continues to skim the glutinous waterbody, flanked by tangled vegetation and reedy grass, and surrounded by lush mangroves and vibrant birdlife, a sense of calm envelopes me. The gentle, rhythmic lapping of the water and an incandescent sun caressing my skin makes me feel at one with nature. The emerald-green waters reflecting the azure above creates a mesmerising kaleidoscope of colours. I’m enchanted by this glimpse into the untamed, a lesson in mindfulness and rolling with surprises.
Its not just their sheer beauty; the Muthurajawela marshes also perform many vital functions. The naturalist continued, “They act as an oxygen reservoir sucking up carbon dioxide. They’re also a run-off area for storm waters preventing flooding of overpopulated cities like Colombo and Negombo. They sustain thousands of people who fish in the waterways that meander through here,” he adds.
Fascinatingly, variegated ecosystems exist within the vast wetland, such as mangroves, grasslands, vernal pools, marshes, and waterways. Over 190 plant species also thrive here including different types of Kadol, Bariya, Rathugas, Mandagas, and Mulli.
However, all this beauty isn’t without its share of pain. Peiris explains that environmental degradation and manmade causes have eroded over 75 per cent of the Muthurajawela Wetlands over the past century. Their fragile ecosystem is also under threat from invasive species, pressures of an exploding population, commercial and industrial interests for land as well as rampant encroachment.
Be that as it may, I counted myself among the fortunate few to be able to witness their mesmerising beauty first hand. As the perfect finale to our excursion, on the way back to the resort, our boat is chased by flocks of hungry seagulls waiting to pounce on the fish thrown up by the lagoon’s water rippling under our boat.
Soon we’re back to the resort and I bid adieu to Peiris. It’s spa time now after the excursion’s many thrills. Soon, in a room redolent of delicious smells, combined with the soothing, long strokes of the massage, I drift off to sleep, dreamily wondering if I could take the therapist back home with me!
