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The Blue Whale
(Video Link:)
Blue whales are amazing - more amazing and larger than even the largest dinosaurs that ever roamed the earth. They are the largest animals on the earth, growing up to 120 feet in length and weighing over 180 metric tons. They are not carnivorous and feed only on krill ( a very small marine invertebrate) that is a very small shrimp like creature. Sperm whales in contrast are the largest carnivore mammals and mainly feed on squid and octopus at extreme depths on the deep sea bed.
The "Big Blue" - the master of the deep - has been nearly hunted to extinction with an estimated less than 12,000 whales left world-wide. They are desperately threatened with extinction due to their horrific slaughter with whaling practises of years past.
Although now totally protected against mankind's ruthless quest for whale byproducts - (such as perfume!) the killing of these beautiful animals has taken them to the very brink of extinction.
Blue whales are found in all of the earths oceans but they tend to stick to warmer tropical waters than the colder oceans. The Blue whale is a very solitary animal and generally spends the majority of its life alone, roaming the vast oceans of the world.
Sri Lanka is situated within the International Whaling Commission's protected zone in the Indian Ocean, with conditions around the island being generally excellent as a habitat for the Blue whale as well as for its smaller cousin - the Sperm whale - as the sea off Sri Lanka is very very rich in cetacean species with over twenty five species recorded to date, and over 100 river systems supply an excellent nutrient flow into the ocean. Consequently Sri Lanka is now evolving into one of the top spots in the world to watch these elusive and gentle giants - as well as Sperm whales.
Hopefully, Blue whales are on the comeback but it will be a slow gradual process, but increased sightings in the last few years of both Blue and Sperm whales off the southern coast of Sri Lanka (Galle - Dondra areas) now means that this is a continuing and growing event that we can monitor and even more exciting, participate in - but very carefully as this comeback must NOT be threatened by mass tourism.
The proximity to the shore that you can view these wonderful animals now makes Sri Lanka one of the easiest places in the world for whale watching. To see a Blue whale up close and personal is extraordinary - a sleek beautiful giant that makes a nuclear submarine by comparison look small - as well as ugly and slow!
Best time to go:
Whale and dolphin watching is generally available on the west coast in locations from Kalpitiya and along the south west coast ( Galle-Dondra) from December - March/April while the east coast off Trincomalee is usually from June to September.
Here's some amazing facts about Blue Whales!
A single breath from a fully grown adult blue whale will fill around 2,000 balloons. A Blue whale's tongue weighs up to 2.7 metric tons and when its mouth is fully expanded it is large enough to hold up to 90 metric tons of food and water.
A Blue whale's aorta (main blood vessel in the body) is about 9 inches in diameter and its heart weighs over 600 kilos and is the largest of any animal in the world - it is so large that a small car would fit within it! During the first 7 - 8 months of its life, a Blue whale calf (baby) can drink up to 400 litres of its mothers milk a day. Blue whale calves gain as much as 90 kilograms in weight every 24 hours. At birth, a calf weight about the same as a full grown hippopotamus - around 700 kilograms!
Blue whales are unique in that they can all be identified as individuals, like us humans! They have a unique 'mottling' patterns on both sides of their body, especially around the dorsal fin which is photographed and compared on a world wide Blue whale database register.
These markings are part of the whale for life and totally unique to each animal. In Sri Lanka, because they "fluke up" so often before a deep dive the markings and scars on their tail flukes are also used to identify individual whales – much like human fingerprints.
Sample Whale watching itinerary:
Day 1: Galle. Arrival in Sri Lanka and transfer by private car to your luxury Galle hotel for 5 nights.
Day 2 - 4: Galle: For the next 3 mornings we are up at dawn (nearly!) to take a boat with our naturalist guide from the nearby harbour (Dondra) out to the nearby whale spotting area. Blue whales are seen in this area close to the shore as the continental shelf is narrow to the south of Dondra. After seeing the 'sight of your life' (a Blue whale up close!) we will then look further out to sea for Sperm whales.
Day 2-4: afternoon. At leisure by your resort pool or shopping in Galle or local sightseeing.
Optional: Why not take an optional afternoon visit out to sea for Dolphin spotting? On a good day you will have the treat of observing hundreds of dolphins in the one spotting session The long-snouted Spinner dolphins are a real treat to watch playing and squabbling up close!
Day 5: Yala: Morning. Sightseeing transfer to Yala National Park by private car. Afternoon at leisure.
Day 5-7: Yala National Park - On safari both mornings - maybe a leopard spotted up close!
Day 8: - Transfer to airport by private car for your flight back home
* Or - sightseeing transfer to Kandy by private car for a 3 day Cultural Triangle tour the following day
* Or - transfer to Negombo by private car for 3 days luxury Spa Resort beach break
* Or - transfer to the airport by private car for a week in the Maldives!
Whatever you chose - we would be delighted to tailor make a bespoke holiday for you - it's your choice - and our speciality IS tailoring the exact holiday to your exact requirements!
Contact us for more information!
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Blue Whale Song from the South Pacific. (Note whale song has been sped up x 10)
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