Hikkaduwa marine national park is one of the three marine national parks in Sri Lanka with rich biodiversity a fringing coral reef. Hikkaduwa marine national park declared as wildlife sanctuary and then upgraded to a nature reserve. Declared as a marine national park in 2002, it boasts of a shallow fringing coral reef with an average depth of around 5 meters, which also reduces coastal erosion by acting as a natural breakwater. Encompassing a total of 101.6 hectares, it lies in the southern province. The park is situated in the wet zone, which makes the relatively dry climate between the southwestern and northeastern monsoons an ideal time for tourists.

Situated in the coastal town of Hikkaduwa, which is famous for its surfer friendly waves, the Hikkaduwa Marine National Park offers an ideal spot for scuba diving and coral reef observation. The reef biodiversity is rich with a total of 60 coral species and 170 species of reef fish. Coral types of Staghorn, Elkhorn, cabbage, brain, table and star collar are observable in the reef consisting of coral species belonging to Montipora, Faviidae and Poritidae.

The reef also provides habitat for Dugongs, sea turtles and various invertibrates such as prawns, crabs, shrimps, oysters, and sea worms.The shallow depth of the reef along with its aesthetically pleasing flora and fauna offers an excellent spot for both scuba diving and marine photography.