Sri Lanka is one of the world’s best destinations for spotting blue and sperm whales. Reaching upto 100 feet or more in length, these great mammals can be seen off the South and East coasts of the island.
Some interesting facts on Blue Whales:
Blue Whales are more than 30 meters long and weight around 200 tons.
Their tongues alone can weigh as much as elephant.
There are less than 25,000 Blue Whales left in the entire World Oceans.
Whale and Dolphin watching in Sri Lanka
The ever smiling, mischievous dolphins will put on a show while some of the oldest and the largest sea creatures, the humpback and the blue whales, will nonchalantly glide past you, when you embark on a whale/ dolphin watching excursion off the Southern, Eastern or the West coast of Sri Lanka. The ideal locations for whale watching would be Dondra Point (accessible from Galle, Hikkaduwa and Mirissa) and Trincomalee while the sea off Kalpitiya teems with an abundance of dolphins.
Worlds’ largest blue whale Colony
Blue whales in other parts of the world migrate large distances, but the blue whales in Sri Lanka are confined to one particular place. No one knows why, said Asha de Vos, Sri Lankan Marine Biologist. It seems Ocean close to southern tip of Sri Lanka, Mirissa has given sanctuary to this largest animal in the world. This large population of blue wales was spotted off 20 km from the southern tip of the Sri Lanka.
You can watch Blue Wales if you take a boat from Mirissa beach (off Dondra point). This is the best place in the world to watch blue wales.
Whale watching boat tour operators
Over 50 registered Whale watching boats operating in Mirissa area at present. One can see the enthusiasm of foreign tourists to venture into sea to have a closer look at these giant marine mammals, the largest living creatures in the World. On a daily basis, boat operators continue to take foreigners out to sea to offer them with the unique experience of sighting a Blue Whale.
Is whale watching Safe and Whale friendly?
The Sri Lanka Coast Guard Department (SLCG) monitor the activities relating to the whale watching industry. Now Coast Guard personnel are involved in making sure that boat operators, crew and the tourists adhere to safety precautions. According to the regulations once sea-mammals are observed, the speed of the boats should be gradually reduced till the vessel is at a distance of 400 metres.
With regard to whales, the engine of the vessel should be switched off at a distance of 100 metres from the whales and at no stage should the vessel be less than 100 metres from the whale. In respect of other mammals, the vessel should not move closer than 50 metres from such mammals.
Worlds Largest Blue Whale colony – Discovered in Sri Lanka – Video
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Whale & Dolphin Watching in Mirissa, Sri Lanka
Have you ever been Whale and Dolphin watching? Sail Sri Lanka helps tourists watch these majestic creatures in their natural habitat and it’s absolutely breath taking. Here’s their experience.
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