To sum up, Sri Lanka’s location, marine topography and double-monsoon weather system make it an unusually hospitable location for marine mammals of many species. Seven natural factors combine to produce an island ecology offering a wide variety of marine habitats, making Sri Lanka one of the best places in the world to see whales and […]
The territorial waters of Sri Lanka extend 22km (12nm) beyond the coastline and cover an area of about 21,500km2. In addition, the country enjoys rights to an UNmandated ‘exclusive economic zone’ that extends outward 370km (200nm) from its shores and covers an area of about 510,000km². Besides having sovereign rights to resources in the water
The lonely helmsman, lost at sea, hears women’s voices singing a powerful, seductive melody. Perhaps the moon is high, and he glimpses them – seated upon a reef of sea-girt rock, some combing their hair, others beckoning him nearer. Hypnotised by their beauty and their song, he puts his tiller round and steers straight for
Marine mammals in the wild are rarely easy to identify. Even under ideal conditions, observers may not enjoy more than a glimpse: a splash, a spout, a brief view of a dorsal fin, head, back or flukes – seen, more often than not, at a considerable distance. Rough weather, glare from reflected sunlight, mist, fog,
Experts disagree on where and by what routes whales arrive and depart the water around Sri Lanka. Reliable migration data on cetaceans in the Indian Ocean is thin Many hypotheses have been and continue to be proposed in various publications The information given below is based on the latest studies and data; however, it must
As is the case with many other animals, several marine mammal species are migratory, often making astonishingly long journeys across the oceans of the world. Many large cetaceans, such as blue whales and humpbacks, migrate between high and low latitudes, moving from their chilly Arctic and Antarctic habitats to tropical and sub-tropical regions in order
Like all other animals, marine mammals must work for a living, hunting or foraging for the food they need to sustain them, and they will often be found in proximity to their preferred food sources. Thus, knowledge of their diet and feeding patterns plays an important role in locating them and understanding their observed behaviour.
Like all other mammals, including humans, marine mammals give birth to welldeveloped young following a period of internal gestation and nourish them during their early lives by suckling. They also share common mammalian characteristics such as endothermy (producing the warmth they need to function from within their own bodies), air-breathing and well-defined limbs. A few
The first ever land based whale- and dolphin-watching station in Sri Lanka is reported to have been set up on Norway Islet in Koddiyar Bay, Trincomalee, in the early 1980s. The location has the best possible line of sight for whales, directly overlooking the Trincomalee canyon system, which begins east of Tambalagam Bay, runs between
Not many people know that the waters surrounding Sri Lanka are among the best places in the world to see whales, dolphins and other marine mammals. Mainly, this is due to a lack of proper information and publicity. Though sightings are frequent at many locations round the island, not many find their way into the
