Hummanaya, Natural blowhole in Kudawella, Sri Lanka

Hummanaya is a natural blowhole near Kudawella, where seawater rushes through a submerged cavern and is forced up through a hole in the rock. The spray can reach 25 to 30 metres high and erupts every couple of minutes, depending on the sea. A viewing platform and a small visitors' information centre on marine life stand at the site.

Hummanaya is a natural blowhole formed when seawater rushes through a submerged cavern and is forced upward through a hole in the rock. The Sinhala name comes from the "hoo" sound heard from a distance when it erupts. It lies 1.1 km from the fishing village of Kudawella, 5 km from Dikwella and 28 km from Matara. The site now has a visitor information centre on marine life and a viewing platform.

The name Hummanaya comes from the "hoo" sound heard from a distance when the blowhole erupts, from Sinhala හූ (hoo) and මානය (mana). Local villagers believe that shouting, whistling or clapping near the hole increases its activity. The site is also called "Karijjamalawa" in southern dialect.

A viewing platform offers clear observation points for watching the water display, with the most frequent eruptions happening between November and April. The phenomenon works best when waves are strong and the tide brings heavy swells to shore.

This is the second largest blowhole in the world and the only known example of its kind in Sri Lanka. This rarity makes the formation a truly unusual geological site to visit on the island.