Sri Lanka is a small island nation in the central Indian Ocean, just off the southern tip of India. The population of 20 million is a mix of Buddhist Sinhalese, Hindu Tamils and others. They have a rich cultural heritage, with temples and ancient ruins throughout the island. The capital city, Colombo is a bustling modern metropolis, but much of the countryside remains given over to labour-intensive rice cultivation, plantations and forest. Sri Lanka is also well known for its spectacular scenery and fabulous terrestrial wildlife, with wild Elephants being the largest of all.

What is less well known is that Sri Lankan waters are home to some of the best whale and dolphin watching in the world. At the right place and time, Blue Whale sightings are all but guaranteed. Sperm Whale are also present in good numbers, as are a variety of dolphins, including Spinners, Bottlenose, Indo-Pacific Bottlenose, Risso’s, Spotted and Striped.

Climate

Elephants at Udawalawe

Sri Lanka lies just north of the equator, so the climate is tropical. April is normally calm and sunny, but the wind often picks up and brings showers in the afternoons.
Temperatures typically reach 29-32°C during the day, dropping to about 25-27°C at night. Sea breezes make this quite comfortable, although when there is no wind it does feel hot.

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Cetaceans

The main attraction of whale and dolphin watching in Sri Lanka are the Blue Whale. In both 2007 and 2008 we had a 100% success rate for Blue Whale sightings. In 2009, we saw Blue Whale on ‘only’ 11 out of 12 days. On most day trips we see 2-10 Blue Whales, and are able to spend up to an hour or more with them. Of course, nothing can be guaranteed with wild animals, but it would be very surprising if we did not see many Blue Whales. We can also expect to see several of the following:

Sperm Whale off the south coast of Sri Lanka, April 2008

Bryde’s Whale Balaenoptera edeni
Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus
Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia sima
False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens
Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris
Risso’s Dolphin Grampus griseus
Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Indo-pacific Bottlenose Tursiops aduncus
Spotted Dolphin Stenella attenuata
Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba
Shortfin Pilot Whale Globicephala macrorhynchos

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Birds

While out with the whales there will be plenty of opportunity for seabird watching.
Over 40 species of seabird have been recorded, including many rare tropical species, migrant Storm-petrels and others. Species likely to be seen during our trips include:
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus
Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes
Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus
Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis
Great Crested Tern Sterna bergii
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Little Tern Sterna albifrons
Saunder’s Tern Sterna saundersi
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus
Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus
Black Noddy Anous minutus
On land, Sri Lanka is a birder’s paradise. Even though these trips are not focused on birds, it is hard to ignore the numerous and often brightly coloured species that adorn the countryside. There are 33 endemic species, and we should see several of them. We can expect to record 100 or more bird species in all.

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Other Marine Life

Little Green Bee-eater, Udawalawe National Park

While out whale-watching we will undoubtedly see plenty of other marine life. Both flying fish and tuna are abundant and should be spotted regularly. If we are lucky we may see Manta Ray and giant Sunfish. Five species of turtle are known from Sri Lanka, and we have a chance of seeing four – Green, Hawksbill, Olive Ridley and Loggerhead. Finally, we will certainly be keeping a lookout for the world’s only truly marine insect, the Sea Skater.

Other Land Animals

On this holiday we make a special excursion to Udawalawe National Park to see Elephants. We might also spot Jackal, Spotted Deer, Mongoose, and large Land Monitors. Elsewhere, Palm Squirrels and Fruit Bats are common. Dragonflies and Butterflies abound, and after dark in our Galle hotel grounds Fireflies can be seen.

Recommended Field Guides

Cetaceans: Whales, Dolphins and Seals: A Field Guide to the Marine Mammals of the World by Hadoram Shirihai, A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 2006

This book is available from us. For more information and to order, please follow this link: Shop

Birds: Grimmett R., C. Inskipp and T. Inskipp (1999) Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Christopher Helm, London. 384pp.

Birds: Kazmierczak K. and B. Van Perlo (2000) Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Pica Press. 336pp.

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