Whale Wonders with Anoma
The year 2007 brought great happiness to wildlife enthusiasts as it was confirmed that migratory whales were journeying through Sri Lanka’s southern seas. This affirmation gained Southern Sri Lanka a worldwide reputation as one of the best locations for observing and photographing magnificent Blue Whales. Mirissa is one of the key places to visit during the months of December to April if you are fan of these beautiful marine mammals, when the deep blue waters of the vast Indian ocean is the perfect place to observe them along with occasional Sperm Whales and Spinner Dolphins. Over the years, Mirissa, located less than an hour’s drive from Jetwing Lighthouse has become a popular spot for whale watching excursions.
The 5th of November started off as a gusty and gloomy morning as I led yet another group of whale fans out on an excursion into the rough waves of the southern sea. After hours of motoring around the distant coastline in search of the shy marine mammals, we head back to shore. All of a sudden, in the distance we spotted what we though were a herd of Sperm Whales however upon closer inspection, we were ecstatic to discover that they were actually Blue Whales! They appeared to be traveling with the ocean current from the west to the east towards the colder waters of Bay of Bengal to cool their gigantic bodies and to search for bigger supplies of food and to mate.
At this time the group and I were floating 8.86 miles away from the coast of Mirissa alongside the Blue Whales who were traveling at quite a speed on the waves, diving and shooting water from their blowholes as they surfaced and moved through the water. The biggest surprise was the sheer number of these splendid mammals. We spotted 25 individuals and I am certain there were more beneath the waves. It most definitely was the largest number of Blue Whales I had ever seen on an excursion! The discovery is certainly a natural wonder and optimistic news for me and other whale enthusiasts as it points out the increase in the Blue Whale population and their increased activity off the deep southern coast!
