Whale and Dolphin Watching in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is rapidly establishing itself as one of the Indian Ocean's most promising destinations for watching whales and dolphins in the wild. Situated within the International Whaling Commission's protected zone in the Indian Ocean, the island's coastal waters offer remarkable opportunities to encounter some of the ocean's most magnificent creatures — from the immense blue whale to playful spinner dolphins.

The main locations for whale and dolphin watching span several coastlines: Alankuda beach in Kalpitiya and Mirissa or Dondra Point along the deep south on the west coast, and Trincomalee on the east coast. Additional sightings have been reported in the western coastal towns of Alutgama, Ambalangoda, and Hikkaduwa, making the island's marine wildlife accessible from a broad stretch of its shoreline.

Seasons and Locations

A high concentration of blue whales and sperm whales has been spotted in the seas off Dondra Head along the deep south coast during the months of January to April. According to marine biologists, the deep sea off Dondra Head is one of the best locations to watch whales because of its exceptionally close proximity to the coast, where the continental shelf narrows sharply.

For those more interested in dolphins, Alankuda beach in Kalpitiya is considered among the best places for sightings, with the period from November to March regarded as the prime season. Along the eastern shores, whale and dolphin watching is also possible during June to September off Trincomalee.

The Migration Path of Whales

Whales favour deep waters and communicate through long songs, clicks, and other sounds — a form of communication that can be disrupted by background noise from ship propellers. Marine biologist Anderson believes some of the blue whales off Dondra Head could be resident whales, while others may be migratory ones crossing between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. He suspected that in January they would be passing Sri Lanka on their way to the Bay of Bengal, and in April they would pass again down the south coast — beyond Maldives — towards the Arabian Sea.

A History of Research and Discovery

Commercial whale watching in Sri Lanka was first discussed in the 1980s, following the documentation of whale sightings in Trincomalee bay by marine biologists aboard the research vessel The Tulip. They discovered that blue whales and sperm whales were entering Trincomalee harbour by way of a submarine canyon. The whales of Trincomalee also featured in the award-winning film Whales Weep Not, which was the first underwater filming of sperm whales in their natural habitat. Although Trincomalee had been tipped as a future whale-watching hotspot, security restrictions at the time shelved plans to develop the area for tourism.

In 2003, a second research vessel, The Voyage of Odyssey, documented whale sightings off Sri Lanka's southern coast. Research crew member Genevieve Johnson captured the experience in a widely quoted passage: "To see a Blue whale at sea is something most of us can only dream about. To see more than one in a lifetime is a rarity reserved for a fortunate few."

Growing Momentum in the Deep South

More recent sightings off the southern coast were documented by a group called Mirissa Water Sports, funded by the firm Loadstar, which has been recording whale sightings since April 2006. These records helped confirm marine biologist Anderson's theory of whale migration around Sri Lanka during January and April. Increased sightings of both blue whales and sperm whales in the south have created a growing opportunity for whale-watching tourism, and with infrastructure and vital data now in place, the industry is steadily gathering momentum in Sri Lanka's Deep South.