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- Domestic Tours
- The Big Five of Sri Lanka Blue Whales, Sperm Whales, Elephants, Leopards & Sloth bears
The Big Five of Sri Lanka
Blue Whales, Sperm Whales, Elephants, Leopards & Sloth bears
- Wildlife
Butawa Tank overlooking Elephant Rock
Leopard relaxing on a tree
Enjoy a marine safari with a 90% encounter rate with blue whales (Mirissa)
There is also a chance to meet sloth bears
Passing Sri Lankan elephants on safari
Whale Watching in Mirissa
Sri Lanka has rich waters that are blessed with regular encounters with Blue and Sperm Whales, as well as other whale species. This is definitely the highlight of Marissa, especially in the months from December to April, as the Blue Whales gather in the deep waters off Dondra Point, the southern tip of Sri Lanka. There is a family of whales that live permanently in this area. Additionally, when the seas are calm, you can have a chance to encounter other migrating whales like Blue, Sperm or even sometimes the Killer Whales.
Around 6AM, many tourists gather at the Fisheries Harbor of Mirissa. On a busy day, dozens of boats to go out from there for whale watching. Once everyone is fitted with their lifejackets, you depart the harbor. You will scan the surface of the sea for the spouts of water that come up from the whale’s ‘Blow’ as a sign. At times, it might only be one individual, or you might even get to see a family of 10 or more individuals. Once the whales are spotted, the boat will take up a position running side by side, where most watchers are amazed at the size and the experience of seeing the whales. They will be leisurely swimming in the ocean, and in a moment raise its ‘Fluke Up’ high before diving down into the deep sea. This ‘Fluke Up’ is always accompanied with the clicking sounds of the cameras and the cheers from the crowd, as the whale dives out of sight.
Blue whale fluke up
Cruise on a private boat
Yala National Park
Yala National Park is in southeastern Sri Lanka and is the second largest national park and most visited in the country. The park covers 979 square kilometers and divided into five blocks. Two blocks are currently opened to the public and usually tourists visit Ruhuna National Park, which is designated as Block 1. It creates a rich natural system of freshwater and marine wetlands brought to life by the monsoon. Also, Yala National Park is famous for having the world’s biggest concentration of leopards. The population of Leopards in this park has not been thoroughly studied but 59 Leopards were recognized by the research that was conducted in 2014. The birth of nine cabs were reported in early 2017. The studies here are not like in the tiger reserves in India, which gives named territories to tiger. However, the naturalists are knowledgeable about the territories of the individual leopards. The number of leopards are surely increasing.
Leopard appearing in front of us
Sri Lankan elephants
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Sloth bears
SCHEDULE
| 1 | Colombo - Mirissa
Arrive at Bandaranayake International Airport in Colombo, where we will meet you and drive you to Mirissa. Overnight at Paradise Beach Club Meals offered： Dinner |
|---|---|
| 2 | Mirissa
In the morning, head to the Mirissa Fisheries Harbor to head out for your whale watching cruise in a spacious and comfortable boat. The highlight of the day is that you might see a high concentration of Blue Whales, which cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. A concentration of Blue Whales of this nature is something most whale watchers can only dream about. During the migration, Blue Whales are seen relatively close to shore as the continental shelf is narrow to the south of Dondra Point. After seeing the Blue Whales, your naturalist will take you further out to sea, to look for Sperm Whales. Even Sperm Whales sometimes come within a few kilometers of shore. In the afternoon, enjoy your free time by the beach. Overnight at Paradise Beach Club Meals offered： Breakfast, Dinner |
| 3 | Mirissa
We will head out for another morning whale watching cruise to see Spinner Dolphins, Blue and Sperm Whales. Blue and Sperm Whales are both seen regularly in these waters. Our team has conducted over 250 whale watching expeditions in the past two seasons alone and have sighted the whales on more than 95% of the outings. In the afternoon, you can visit the Galle Dutch Fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Overnight at Paradise Beach Club Meals offered： Breakfast, Dinner |
| 4 | Mirissa - Uda walawe
Have breakfast at hotel, then we make our way to Uda walawe. In the afternoon, go out for a game drive in Udawalawe National Park which is a dry zone area with Elephants and fantastic birding. Up to 50-60 Elephants might be seen and one of the key attractions is the ‘Nursery Herd,’ comprised of many baby Elephants. Overnight at Grand Udawalawe Meals offered： Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| 5 | Uda walawe - Yala
In the morning, we will go out for another game drive in Uda Walawe National Park. Then we will drive you to Yala. In the afternoon, go out for a game drive into the Yala National Park to look for Leopards, Elephants, Sloth Bears and the other wildlife. Overnight at Chaaya Wild Meals offered： Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| 6 | Yala
Enjoy the morning and afternoon game drives in Yala National Park for more chances to see Leopards, Elephants and Sloth Bears. Overnight at Chaaya Wild Meals offered： Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| 7 | Yala
Continue exploring the Yala National Park with the morning and afternoon game drives. Overnight at Chaaya Wild Meals offered： Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| 8 | Yala - Negombo
We will make our way to Negombo. Overnight at Tamarind Tree Meals offered： Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| 9 | Negombo - Colombo
We head to Bandaranayake International Airport for your departure. Meals offered： Breakfast |
NOTES
- There is no guarantee to observe all the wild animals mentioned in the itinerary.
- Whale watching cruises may be cancelled due to bad weather or sea conditions.
PRICE
| Number of people | Price per one |
|---|---|
| 3 （Triple room） | Contact us |
| 2（Twin/Double room） | Contact us |
| １（Single room） | Contact us |
| Single room supplement | Contact us |
Two whale watching cruises in Mirissa | Accommodations as mentioned in the itinerary | Private car and English speaking driver for the transfer | Guided tour in Galle | Meals mentioned in the itinerary| Entrance, toll, and parking fees, etc. | Other surcharges
【Above program excludes】Personal expenses - Drinks, phone calls, laundry, etc. | Tips to the guide and driver | ETA ※An ETA is required to travel to Sri Lanka. It can be obtained online.
※We will kindly arrange the tours as you wish. For example: changes for a different hotel, arrangements for only private car or guides, tour plans without meals.
