Can I snorkel Hikkaduwa coral and see turtles right from the beach without a boat

Yes, absolutely. Hikkaduwa Coral Sanctuary is the only spot on the south coast where wild green turtles graze in waist-deep water you can walk into. Enter from the beach in front of the Sanctuary section (north end of the main Hikkaduwa beach strip, not the southern surf-break end). Walk out 30-50m and you are over coral patches with sergeant-majors, parrotfish, and yes turtles. Best between 7-10am: calm water, clear visibility, turtles feeding before the boat traffic starts. Calm SEA conditions only - this is the southwest monsoon coast so May to September gets choppy and visibility drops. Bring your own snorkel and reef shoes (coral rubble is sharp). DO NOT touch or stand on the coral, do not chase turtles, no reef-unsafe sunscreen, and ignore the "feed the turtle" guys who appear on the beach (they damage the turtles diet and health).