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 coasts of Sri Lanka are usually well supplied with lagoons and estuaries. On the castern and southern coasts, they form a more or less interconnected chain running from Point Pedro to Dondra Head, their topography constantly changing under the influence of weather and tide. These transition zones between sea and land, where the salinity
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
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
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
