"It hits the wave with its fins and goes into the depths." Find out how to swim with blue whales in Sri Lanka, how much a whale safari costs, where to buy a tour and what you need to know. Read our review!
Previously, whale hunting was a commercial one, now it is a tourist one. We really wanted to see these huge and kind animals, so we went to Mirissa - it is considered one of the best places for watching blue whales in Sri Lanka and in general in the world. We were there in March.
Look for hotels in Sri Lanka on the Rumguru service - there you can find options with discounts.
Exchange rate: 100 Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) ≈ 41 RUB.
Where to buy a safari tour in Mirissa
Whale safari in Mirissa is offered by many companies and hotels. But the # 1 company on TripAdvisor is Whale watching club mirissa... They have rave reviews, read it yourself. Plus, our friends have already swam with them, so we also chose them.
WWC has a lot of advantages:
- They do not think about time - if the whales are far away, the safari can take up to 10 hours in total (although this is a minus for those suffering from seasickness). The usual safari time is 2-6 hours.
- They are not limited to 1-2 whales - you are guaranteed to see a lot of whales and will definitely make good shots.
- Only 35 people can be taken on board, although its capacity is up to 60. Therefore, you will not look at the backs of the heads of people, but at the whales. You can move freely around the deck.
- The staff are courteous and helpful, always helpful.
We are completely satisfied with their excursion.
How much does this tour cost
Whale Watching Club has a tour price - 8,500 rupees per person (5000 per tour + 3500 state tax from foreigners), that is, only 47$ per person. For children - 4500 rupees. This price includes:
- transfer - one trip by tuk-tuk;
- tea or coffee before swimming;
- pill for seasickness;
- three meals on board.
How is the safari going
If you live in Mirissa, you will be picked up by a tuk-tuk from your hotel free of charge. The driver was waiting for us at the gate at 5:30. At the office we checked in and had tea. Then an employee takes passengers to the ship in small groups - the earlier you arrive, the earlier you will get on board.
Departure at 6:00. We set off first. Breakfast is brought in almost immediately - a sandwich with an egg, lettuce, sausage, a pineapple circle and a 0.5 liter bottle of water. Then watermelons and pineapples are served. On the way back they are given roti, a bottle of cola and a coconut.
We saw the first whale very early - it waved its tail at us. This is amazing! It is very difficult to imagine such a colossus under water. Mostly there is a small species of blue whale - it can be recognized by a notch on its tail.
We got to the main location of the whales at about 9:00. "The captain looks keenly. He sees a fountain pouring into the sea." The whale breathes, a fountain of splashes rises into the air several times. Here the race begins: all ships and boats rush to the whale. Then the whale goes under water for 10-20 minutes. At this time, the captain tries to predict the whale's trajectory and swim to the place where it will swim next time. He rejoices every whale like a child - much more than tourists tired of pitching. You are involuntarily charged with his energy, fun and excitement!
We saw a lot of whales - we lost count. On the way back we met a funny sea turtle - it posed for a long time and mischievously glanced at the tourists. Then there was the invasion of miniature spinner dolphins. More than a hundred graceful dolphins hunted, jumping out of the water right in front of the boat. There were so many of them that it seemed the water was seething. That's where the delight was!
At about 11:00 we arrived at the port. It was a little sad to come back, I wanted to spend more time at sea.
What to wait
It must be understood that whales do not swim close or jump out of the water. Mostly you will see a "geyser", a whale's back and, if you're lucky, a tail. But this is enough to appreciate the size and be impressed - especially if the whale is very close.
But dolphins gracefully jump out and swim merrily in a race with the boat. The turtle also likes to swim nearby.
There will be a strong rolling, sometimes such that the stomach tends to jump out. There will be wind and sun in your face, salty spray, raptures, sighs and snort of whales!
Advice
Go on a safari without high expectations - you may not see whales. If you don't see them, WWC offers to go back to the safari for free the next day. Money is not returned.
Book your excursion in advance. Chat with the guys by mail or Facebook - the contacts are on their website whalewatchingclub.com. They will notify you of changes, if any. For example, our tour was postponed for one day.
We sat on the upper deck, which is probably the best place to see whales. From above, everything is clearly visible. Try to arrive early to get upstairs, or ask the staff to do so.
If you have motion sickness (and even if you do not), take the pill one hour before sailing. There can be big waves in the open ocean. If anything, the staff have special bags. We were lucky - the waves were small, and only one person was seasick.
It is better not to have a heavy breakfast and not drink a lot of water, so as not to get seasick.
Be careful on board - the pitching is strong, you can fall, hit or drop the equipment.
Get a spare battery for your camera.
Take binoculars or a telephoto lens - mostly whales are far away.
