Blowhole Sri Lanka- The Natural Fountain
Hummanaya or blowhole is visited by thousands of local and foreign visitors every day and it has been able to surprise its visitors with a very rare type of natural spectacle. It is one of the most significant attractions in the island created by Mother Nature. This natural attraction is located in southern Sri Lanka, well over 30 kilometres from Matara in the direction of Tangalle.
The blowhole is not a major tourist attraction in Sri Lanka and quite unpopular among foreign visitors. It is not promoted as a tourist attraction like many other places such as Sinharaja rain forest, Galle fortress etc. Therefore blowhole is not a part of many road trips in Sri Lanka organized by local travel agents.
The geological explanation for blowhole or Hummanaya is an existing cave in the ground at sea-level that extends towards the opposite direction of the sea and upwards while it opens to the air at the ground level. The same theory is applied to any such fountain existing in the world. During the high-tide, the water is pushed into the hollow while making a blast of water at the opening of the cave at the ground level.
Even from far away, one can hear the sounds of the blowhole. The fountain arises at certain times as there are several conditions should be fulfilled for its existence such as wind speed, the pressure of the enclosed underground tunnel etc. As the pressure build-up in the tunnel, one can hear “Ho-ho-ho” sound and immediately afterwards the water pressed through the opening of the opening on the surface making it a fountain, which rises up to 2120 feet.
When the water is pushed into the tunnel due to the high and low tide, a large amount of water is pressed into the air through the hall forming a natural fountain. The water that goes into the air touches the ground in the next 5 to 10 seconds and the water retreats to the ocean again to form the next fountain.
This spectacular scenery is created in a flash and it is in action for about 5 to 10 seconds. Spectators need to be patient for several minutes to take a glimpse of this natural spectacle. It may take more than 30 minutes in some instances between 2 consecutive fountains. This natural wonder attracts around 1500 foreign as well as local travellers every day.
How often can we see the fountain?
Seeing it was an exhilarating experience and one that shouldn’t be missed. The water pressure in the tunnel build-up at regular intervals, every 10-15 minutes. However, the waiting time to see the fountain can be longer during the North-East monsoon, and the height of the fountain is also considerably lower compared to the fountain that can be seen during the rest of the year. For the hour or so that we were there, the spray reached up to about 120 feet once, while at other times it was less.
Where is Blowhole and how do I reach Blowhole?
The blowhole of Tangalle is a well-known attraction in Sri Lanka. Blowhole of Tangalle is located in the deep South of the country and it certainly lives up to expectations. The blowhole is located in Dikwella of southern Sri Lanka. it can be easily reached along the Colombo-Kataragama main road. One needs to travel about 2 kilometres from the main road in the direction of the beach to witness the blowhole. The visitors need to make a trek along a footpath that runs through the densely populated fishing village and it takes around 20 minutes to reach the fountain from the main road.
The parking space for the visitors is available near the blowhole. the visitors are then directed to the blowhole from the car park along a narrow path that runs towards the beach through the village. The people in the village are selling various items for visitors and set up a small boutique on either side of the pathway. Items such as batter-fried fish, toys, soft drinks are some of the many items sold here.