Whales ahoy!

Adding a new dimension to eco-tourism, “Whale of a time”, a professional whale-watching programme is launched

For most of us, the closest we come to seeing a whale may be during a visit to a museum to see its large skeleton or to the beach where a rotting carcass has been washed ashore. But soon we will have the opportunity to sail beyond the beaches of Sri Lanka in search of these gentle giants that roam our waters.

The Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation (CFHC) and Walkers Tours Limited last week launched “Whale of a Time” - a professional whale-watching programme affiliated to the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) to enter this niche market in tourism.

Sri Lanka has long been a hotspot for whales and dolphins, being within the Indian Ocean whale sanctuary declared by the International Whaling Commission in 1979. Moreover, NARA confirms the presence of as many as 27 whales and dolphin species in our waters.According to Chitral Jayathilake, Manager of Nature Odyssey, the eco-arm of Walkers Tours, most of the whale and dolphin populations around the island are non-migratory, thus providing good sightings 6-8 months of the year. The Blue Whale, Sperm Whale, Hump-back Whale, Pilot Whale, all frequent Lankan waters.

Seeing a Blue Whale is the dream of every whale-watcher. The largest animal ever to have lived on the earth, an adult Blue Whale can weigh 200 tonnes which is the equivalent of 60 elephants and can be 100 ft long while a newborn Blue Whale calf may weigh as much as a full grown elephant. This beautiful mammal was among the first observed by the Nature Odyssey team on their pilot visit to the southern seas. “We were scanning the horizon for any sign of whales. Suddenly I spotted a tail fin and we sailed our yacht in that direction. To our delight, it was a Blue Whale. Another soon emerged next to it. As we were enjoying the sighting, two more appeared to our left and another couple from a distance. After a few minutes they dived. It was a pod of six whales,” said Nature Odyssey’s naturalist Nilantha Kodithuwakku.

Whale spotting is an art of its own. You need to be patient and keep scanning the open sea until a whale betrays its presence usually by a blow. The blow is a cloud of vertical spray or mist that appears as the air is exhaled through the blowhole. Contrary to popular belief, the blow is not a fountain of water, but a mist that condenses from the warm moist air as it is expelled under pressure from the whale’s lungs. If you see a whale spout, you can expect it to spout again in the direction it's moving.

Identifying the whale species is the next challenge, given that part of its body is always submerged. But the shape of the fluke or tail fins of the whale may give a good indication. The shape of the dorsal fin and the general body shape also helps to distinguish the species.

The CFHC and Walkers Tours will employ professional naturalists for “Whale of a Time” to help tourists identify the whales and dolphins. They will use a French built yacht that belongs to the National Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering (NIFNE) that can carry 20 people. Initially the tours will be from Panadura and Mirissa fisheries harbours and later expand to Kirinda, Galle Port and Kalpitiya.

Addressing the gathering at the launch ceremony, Chairman of the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation Asanga Abeygunesekera said that this joint venture is part of a government and industry effort to increase the economic contribution from the island's fisheries sector.

Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Neomal Perera and Minister Felix Perera also stressed their willingness to join hands with the private sector and promote Sri Lanka.

However, this is not the first attempt to organize whale watching tours in Sri Lankan waters, said CEO of Walkers Tours, Michael Elias recalling that as far back as 1982 the company had together with NARA planned whale watching tours off Trincomalee, but were unable to as a result of the war.

Whale watching too has its own guidelines like an elephant safari. You should not try to get too close or block the path of the whale. Never go closer than 50 metres to a whale or never get into the water when whales are around. Whales are normally gentle, but it is of utmost importance to respect that gentleness, say naturalists. Many countries conduct a successful permit system to regulate whale watching.

The guidelines specify the minimum distance, manner in which boats approach, leave and behave around whales and dolphins. A qualified naturalist on board the whale watching boat is also considered a must.

Whales and dolphins are threatened due to many reasons including illegal harpooning, accidental by-catch and marine pollution.
For centuries large whales have been hunted for oil, meat, baleen and ambergris (a perfume ingredient from the intestine of Sperm Whales). Whaling or hunting of whales threw some species of whales to the brink of extinction. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission intervened to bring in restrictions to whaling. But a few countries like Norway and Japan still continue despite heavy pressure from conservationists around the world.

The incidence of dolphin meat being sold in fish markets in Sri Lanka has diminished due to awareness campaigns and stricter law enforcement. However, dolphins are often killed when they accidentally get entangled in fishing nets. Environmentalists also fear that the “Sethusamudram” project to dredge a 60m deep shipping lane within the Palk Strait will affect the whale population as the Gulf of Mannar is said to be a good breeding ground especially for Sperm Whales and all other cetaceans.

Whale watching has been recognized as a way to force Cetacean conservation. Whale watching is estimated to be worth up to $1billion per annum worldwide.

The economic value that the whale watching industry can generate will be higher, if carried out properly and countries are propelled to take action to save their whales and dolphins. Whale-watching also provides important benefits for environmental education and cetaceous research.

Dr. Arjan Rajasuriya of NARA expects that the ‘Whale of a Time’ programme will also assist the institute’s research on marine mammals that is sometimes constrained due to financial restraints.