Kalpitiya is where kite surfers cut across turquoise lagoons and vast pods of spinner dolphins arc through open waters just offshore. The area is one of the most important marine ecosystems, sheltering dugongs, dolphins, whales and a variety of birdlife within its mangrove-fringed lagoons and sandbar archipelagos. The Dutch Bay and Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary makes this a destination of ecological significance, while the eco-lodges and kite-surfing camps have opened Kalpitiya to a new generation of adventurous, nature-conscious travellers.