Hummanaya Blowhole

At Kudawella the sea has cut a channel under the rock that ends in a vertical shaft, and when a swell drives water into it the air and spray are forced up through the hole with a roar, which is what the name refers to. On a good day the jet goes well above head height and occasionally much higher. Between waves nothing happens at all, so the visit is a matter of waiting on the rocks and watching the sets come in.

The landscape

• The spout - spray forced up through the shaft on each good swell.
• The roar - the sound the blowhole is named for.
• The rock platform - the coastal shelf the shaft opens through.
• The fishing harbour - Kudawella's working harbour alongside.

When to go

May to September, during the southwest monsoon, brings the biggest swells and the strongest spouting. In calm conditions it barely works. Rough sea days are the best and the most dangerous.

What to expect

On calm days the blowhole does almost nothing and visitors leave disappointed. The rocks around it are wet, sharp and unfenced. Touts at the entrance are persistent.

Nearby

Tangalle is east, and Dickwella is west.