Adventure into the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka’s southern coast with this travel guide.

Recognized for its rich cultural heritage, diverse wildlife and stunning natural beauty, Sri Lanka is a hidden gem that lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal. The island nation shares a maritime border with the Maldives in the southwest and India in the northwest.

A major exporter of Ceylon tea, Sri Lanka also boasts pristine beaches ideal for surfing and sunbathing, impressive ruins like those found at the ancient city of Sigiriya and Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth and authentic wildlife safaris, especially for leopards and elephants.

A small town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Mirissa is the largest fishing port in the region and home to popular seafood including tuna, mullet, snapper and butterfish.

The town is best known for whale watching, surfing and deep sea fishing, along with its picturesque beaches that seem to never end. A lively nightlife scene and nearby Galle Fort are also worth checking out.

Traveling through Sri Lanka for three memorable weeks was surely something extraordinary. Our travels began north of its capital city, Colombo, circling the country clockwise with our first stop in Pinnawala to elephant watch at a local sanctuary.

The arid landscape of Sigiriya came next. There, we climbed the eighth Wonder of the World (so they say), explored the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and experienced Minneriya National Park for a life changing elephant safari.

Exploring giant Buddhas, botanical gardens and fire dancing in Kandy followed, with Nuwara Eliya, also known as the “City of Light” and Ella for its jungle mountains, epic waterfalls and train rides coming next.

Lastly, we spent time in Tissamaharama for another wildlife safari at Yala National Park and the sandy town of Mirissa where we explored the iconic seaside city of Galle, went whale watching and wandered its stunning beaches.

**Whale Watching in Mirissa**

What / Whale & dolphin watching
When / November to April/May & August to October
Where / Mirissa, Sri Lanka’s southern coast
Who / Raja & the Whales
Cost / Adults: 16,000 LKR or about $50 USD
Time / 6:00 a.m. check in & 6:30 a.m. departure
Duration / Typically 4-5 hours but can range from 2 to 8 hours depending on whale sightings
Don’t Forget / Take motion sickness pills

Get Your Whale On

Go Whale Watching in the Indian Ocean

Highly anticipated; an exciting day of whale watching on the Indian Ocean. The day before, we’d stopped by Raja & the Whales to book an excursion and gather the necessary details. The first local company to offer dolphin and whale watching in Mirissa, Raja & the Whales, is a local family business running tours nearly year round. They also adhere to international whale watching regulations and provide valuable research data to many international wildlife research and conservation organizations.

Just after sunrise around 6 a.m., we jumped in a tuk tuk near out hotel and made our way to Raja & the Whales. After checking in, we patiently waited for others to arrive; there would be nearly 50 of us in total. Anxious about the rough waters, I made sure to request a few motion sickness pills (and thank goodness I did). Finally, everything was set and it was time for our guide to lead us over to the boat, walking distance by foot.

Tip / If you’re worried at all about sea sickness, take motion sickness pills before hitting the water.

One by one, the group hopped aboard, strapping into life jackets, as required. Almost immediately, the staff offered a few snacks, as well as a hot breakfast.

They served coffee, huge plates of fruit including pineapple, banana, apple, passion fruit, pomegranate and mango, along with omelettes, sausage and toast (bread).

Tip / Bottled water is provided along with snack options but if you’re picky bring your own. Also, don’t forget your sunscreen, comfy shoes and camera.

After about 45 minutes, we slowly pulled away from the dock and headed out into the open ocean. The skies were covered with a thick layer of morning fog and clouds but there was no rain in sight. The harbor was quiet other than a few fisherman beginning the day.

With hopes of seeing the largest creature on Earth and most common in this area, our boat made its way out of the bay, passing all kinds of colorfully painted boats, often manned by a single gentleman in clothing just as colorful. Besides potential blue whale sightings, other possibilities included sea creatures like fin whales, sei whales, sperm whales, orcas (killer whales), pilot whales, humpback whales, dolphins, flying fish, turtles, manta rays and whale sharks.

Straight away, we spotted a large pod of dolphins. Speeding along swiftly with grace and accuracy they chased alongside the boat, zigging and zagging. Occasionally, they would burst out of the water and up into the air, silently splashing back down into the deep blue water. It was an incredible moment to witness.

As time passed, we began to spot large blue whales. Each time, our boat would wait, still and silent, bobbing up and down in the rhythmic ocean waters. Then, once the whale was spotted we’d speed over as fast as possible in order to beat the other onlookers. Getting close but not too close, we’d pause again and observe. We were even lucky enough to see a few of the whales blow air through their blowholes as they reached the surface to take a breath.

Our boat was careful not to get too close to the whales as to not disturb them. Still, we were able to see the shimmer of the whales back as it broke the waters surface and the flick of its tail as it dove back underwater. And though I was enjoying myself too much to take notes, we did learn that the more tail the whale shows, the deeper the dive. Additionally, throughout the tour, our guide made sure to give us many other interesting facts about whales.

The blue whales found in Sri Lankan waters are non-migratory and thought to be resident in the waters year-round. Far bigger than even the biggest dinosaur, the blue whale reaches nearly 100 feet long and 400,000 pounds, with a tongue weighing as much as an elephant and heart the size of a car. Honestly, I can’t wait for an opportunity to get in the water and swim with these magnificent giants one day.

Near the end of the excursion we were served cake and juice, along with water. The staff was very kind, helpful and knowledgeable and after a few hours of whale watching we began to head back to shore.

Honestly, I could’ve stayed out longer and definitely wished we’d been able to see the whales closer but, all in all, it was a wonderful experience for my first time whale watching and I completely understand the strict rules as to not disturb these wild creatures.

Plus, I couldn’t have been happier about taking motion sickness pills since the waters were quite choppy and some of the others onboard didn’t seem as lucky.

The next day, Raja & the Whales emailed some incredible images from the day just in case you missed your shot.

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