Wild Life Protection Society of Sri Lanka started a turtle hatchery on the Kosgoda beach in 1981, after realizing the threat to the turtles world over. It was established to protect turtles that frequent Sri Lankan waters from extinction. Mother turtles swim over to the sandy beach along this coast and lay and hide their eggs in the sand. These locations are easily found by poachers by the mobility marks these innocent animals leave on the sand.

The hatcheries pay fishermen for eggs that they collect at night along this long sandy beach. The hatchery has become a tourist location as it is very rarely that one gets to see baby turtles or even a large turtle in the wild. Visitors get to view the new born lively hatchlings in huge tanks. When they are 2-4 days old and are able to swim out, they are taken to the sea and released. The main egg laying season for turtles is from October to April. Yet some eggs can be found at Kosgoda area throughout the year.

Sri Lanka is one of the leading countries in the world that has paid attention to the conservation of sea turtles. London's Marine Conservation Society has developed a turtle friendly fishing hook which is being introduced on an experimental basis to a group of Sri Lankan fishermen in order to avoid accidental killings of sea turtles.