- Named After a Camera Pioneer: The center is named after and was founded with a grant from Victor Hasselblad, the famed Swedish camera designer and philanthropist whose cameras were notably used during the first missions to the moon. This connection highlights a unique blend of photography and wildlife conservation.
- Pioneering and Long-Standing Conservation Effort: Established in 1978
, it is recognized as one of the oldest and most established sea turtle conservation and research projects in Sri Lanka, offering a safe haven for the region’s endangered turtle populations for over four decades.
- Conservation of Out of Species: The center is dedicated to protecting the five of the seven global sea turtle species that nest in Sri Lanka: Green, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, and Leatherback turtles.
- Dedicated “Dark Zone” for Nesting: In a unique effort to promote natural nesting, the center maintains a three-mile-long flashlight-free area on the beach. This ensures that artificial light does not disorient female turtles coming ashore to lay eggs or hatchlings making their way to the ocean.
- Rehabilitation of Injured and Rare Turtles: Beyond hatchery operations, the facility operates a hospital and rehabilitation tanks for injured and disabled adult turtles, and also provides a safe sanctuary for extremely rare creatures like albino turtles, which would otherwise be easy targets for predators in the wild.