The Indian Ocean surrounding the tiny island of Sri Lanka is diverse with exotic marine life such as dolphins and unique species of whales. Thus whale watching is a major tourist attraction of the country and apart from the glorious waters of Trincomale the Dondra point accessible through Hikkaduwa, Galle and Mirrissa are the whale watching hotspots.
The whale watching season of Mirissa is from November to April which is incidentally the tourist season of the country. You will be able to embark in an excursion in the clear blue seas to see the majestic and tranquil sea creatures, varieties of whales and several dolphin species casually glide past while engaging in their natural habitat. The Fin Whales, Blue Whales, Hampback whales and Sperm Whales are found in abundance in the waters of Mirissa. Blue whale watching is a hit in here, as these clear waters are blessed with a number of these iconic mammals swimming away playfully.
Whale watching trips are generally carried out in double decker boats, rather sizable to house 35 passengers at a time. Each passenger will be equipped with a life jacket and given safety instructions by the trip providers before the trip and crew of experienced individuals in the whale watching field will go on the trip with you. Whale watching trips are offered by most tour packages such as the Jetwing Eco Holidays, trip providers are available in abundance for various prices in Mirrissa as well. Pick a safe trip for a reasonable price.
Whale watching trips usually have an early start at around 7 am. The boat will set course to the fishing lanes as this is where the whales are found. A trip would usually last around three hours as the journey to and from the harbour to the fishing lanes would usually take an hour. On arriving at the whale watching destinations the crew will spot the whales. Usually you can see whales whirling around on the surface of the sea before swimming back into the ocean, you might be able to catch a quick tail flip in you are lucky. Groups of your favourite sea mammal; dolphins.; might put on a show by acrobatically jumping in and out of the waters as you excitedly gaze on!
This is a wonderful exploration of the beauty of pristine marine lifestyle, an experience worth having on your visit to the beautiful island.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+