Delft National Park | Jaffna |Sri Lanka

Where is It?

An Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment of Northern Province, published in October 2014 by the government with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme, recommended that a national park with an area of 1,846 ha (4,562 acres) be established on a portion of Delft island. The government declared in May 2015 that a portion of Delft, as well as Adam’s Bridge, Chundikkulam, and Madhu Road, would be named national parks.

Delft National Park is located on the island of Neduntivu (Delft) in northern Sri Lanka, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south-west of Jaffna. Delft Island is about an hour’s boat ride from Karaikattuvan Jetty, which is near the historic Nagadeepa Island. Delft Island is the only site on the planet where wild ponies can be found. The Portuguese are thought to have brought them to the island.

Best Time to Visit

The months of July and August are ideal for visiting delft island since the weather is pleasant and warm, with intermittent breezes.

Wildlife Yo Might See

Wild Species knowledge is quite sparse and therefore represents a significant opportunity for any future researcher to investigate the area and conduct ecological research in order to determine the presence of wild species in the area. If anyone is interested, please share your findings with us so that we may incorporate them into this page in order to educate our future generation.

Birds

Mammals

Reptiles

Amphibians

Invertebrates

Physical Feature

Average Rainfall: 750 mm
Lowest and highest temperatures: The temperature ranges from 26 °C to 33 °C, with an average temperature of 28.2 °C

Fauna

Delft is a small island in northern Sri Lanka’s Palk straight. The park and neighboring island are home to the majority of the birds and aquatic species found in northern Sri Lanka. However, it is the only spot in the world where you may see wild ponies, which are thought to have been introduced to the island by the Portuguese.

Delft Island has been home to 146 faunal species, including ten dragonfly species, 15 butterfly species, one frog species, eight reptile species, 101 bird species, and 11 mammal species. This featured one species, Appias galane (Lesser albatross), which is only found in Sri Lanka. Delft Island’s faunal mix also contained 37 migratory bird species. There was one Endangered (EN) species, seven Vulnerable (VU) species, and seven Near Threatened (NT) species among the faunal species observed.

Flora

The island is flat, surrounded by shallow waters and beaches of coral fragments and sand. Palmyrah, dry bushes, and grasses grow on grey porous coralline soil in a semi-arid tropical environment. During the floristic study, 209 flowering plant species representing various life forms were found, including epiphytes (one species), shrubs (29 species), climbers (42 species), trees (67 species), and herbs (70 species). Among the plant species seen on Delft Island were two with special social significance in Sri Lanka: Adansonia digitata (baobab) and Ficus benghalensis (banyan).