I reached Matara on 23rd
afternoon and checked into the hotel located within Matara fort. The evening
was spent strolling on the beach and photographing the sunset.
The Whale and Dolphin watching
cruises started early in the morning from Mirissa. Mirissa was a 20 minutes
drive away from Matara. Therefore, I had an early dinner and retired for the
night.
24th February 2016
Next day morning, we set off from
Matara at 5:15 am and in the absence of any traffic, reached Mirissa within 20
minutes. My tour agents, Jetwing Eco Holidays, had booked my whale watching excursions with Mirissa Water sports, an agency well-experienced
in conducting the whale watching tours. At the agency’s office, the tourists
got themselves registered for the tour and were provided with packed breakfast
& sea-sickness pills.
The tour boat was decent-sized
with 2 tiers and could carry approx. 60 passengers. The lower deck had seats
while the upper deck required passengers to sit/kneel on mats. I chose a seat
on the lower deck at the front of the boat. The tour started at 7 am, about half
an hour later than scheduled. It was a bright sunny day and I looked forward to
an exciting morning.
Bright and Sunny - Mirissa Harbour
Whee! We're going whale-watching - Terns
The coastline (incidentally, the
southern-most point of South Asia) receded into the distance as we went further
into the Indian ocean. The first hour was rather uneventful, though it passed
by quickly, thanks to the anticipation and expectations of the sightings that awaited
us.
Southernmost point of South Asia - Dondra Head Lighthouse
At the hour mark (about 8
nautical miles off the coast), we heard the words we were longing to hear
“Whales ahead!!!” The words triggered a current of excitement through the boat
as everybody strained their eyes to catch a glimpse of the whales. We were
puzzled as we couldn’t sight anything. Then the crew informed us that the
whales were a good fifteen minutes ride away.
The crew helpfully explained how
they spot whales. Whales breathe air into their lungs, through nostrils called
‘blow-holes’, located on top of their heads. The whales surface and exhale the
used-up air. The act of exhaling, creates a water spout which helps whale-spotters
detect their presence from far away. The shape of the water spout helps in identifying
the whale species as well.
As we got closer, we could make
out the water spouts in the distance. To our thrill, we could see several water
spouts which indicated that there was a pod containing several whales. The crew
informed us that the whales were Sperm whales.
Awe at first sight - Sperm Whale
Thar she blows! - Sperm Whales
Sperm Whales are the largest of
the toothed-whales. The head of the whale contains a liquid wax called
spermaceti, from which the whale derives its name. They are known to grow upto
a maximum of 67 feet (20 metres) and weigh upto 65 tons. Though, on an average,
male sperm whales grow upto 55 feet (17 metres) in length while females grow
upto 38 feet (12 metres) in length. (Source: Wikipedia)
Finally, we got close enough to
be able to see the whales as they repeatedly surfaced for air, while swimming
at a leisurely pace. The crew estimated the pod size to be about 20
individuals. The younger (read smaller) whales swam in groups of 4, while the adult
whales swam alone or in pairs. The presence of several smaller whale groups
allowed the boats to follow different groups without overcrowding.
An awesome sight to behold - Sperm Whales
Two's a company, Three's a crowd and Four's a pod - Sperm Whales
The first emotion on
seeing these giants was that of wonder and awe. These were some of the largest
animals to inhabit the planet, several times bigger than elephants, the largest
land animal. Yet, they swam so effortlessly and gracefully in the ocean waters.
My gaze moved from head to tail and back, again and again, as my mind absorbed
the immense size of these giants.
Immense size - Sperm Whales
An effort at close-up - Sperm Whale
Taking photographs on the boat
was tricky, to put it mildly. The boat was moving forward on the waves and at
the same time rocking sideways. With both hands holding my heavy camera and
lens, it was a challenge just to stand upright. There was risk of falling on
the deck as well as the risk of falling overboard.
In spite of the challenge, I
clicked away non-stop. The best photo-opportunities arose when the whales dived
underneath. As they dived, they arched their backs and their tails were lifted
clear out of the water. The tails of the diving whales were my prime subjects for
photography.
A dive in motion - Sperm Whale
The tale of a dive - Sperm Whale
A short clip of Sperm Whales and a fleeting glimpse of a Blue Whale
After taking my heart’s fill of
photographs, I put the camera aside and observed these magnificent animals for
a long time, as they surfaced and dived. The whales had enthralled us for
slightly more than an hour. We were so fascinated and spell-bound, we did not
realize how time had flown by. Soon, it was time to say goodbye to the whales
and set off in search of the spinner dolphins. The Spinner Dolphins are found
much closer to the coast than the whales. Therefore, we turned back towards the
shore.
The spinner dolphins get their
common name from their behavior of leaping out of the water and spinning in the
air. There are different schools of thought on why these dolphins spin. Some
believe this behavior to be a part of courtship display, some consider these
spins to be acts of communication while some others believe that dolphins spin
to get rid of parasites. Whatever be the reason for the spinning behavior, the
spinning dolphins made for a spectacular sight.
After a half-an-hour ride, we got
our first glimpse of the dolphins from a distance. The crew used the clock
position to indicate the direction of the dolphins. They shouted ‘Three’o clock
!!!’ and everybody looked ahead to the right. There were a few dolphins
swimming on the surface. Soon the shouts came loud and fast, ‘Eleven’o clock
!!!”, ‘Nine’o clock !!!’, ‘Twelve’o clock !!!’, ‘Two’o clock !!!’.
Enter the dolphins - Spinner Dolphins
The dolphins were coming in from
all directions, left, right, front and back. Everywhere we looked, there were
dolphins. The dolphins numbered in the hundreds as they surfed the small waves.
Watching their synchronized swimming over the waves was a stunning spectacle. The
dolphins were playful and were not shy of the boats in the area. Some swam
alongside the boat while others swam under the boat.
Flying in from all directions - Spinner Dolphins
Here, There, Everywhere - Spinner Dolphins
However, we were yet to see the
spinning behavior of the dolphins. And very soon, one of the dolphins obliged,
as it leapt out of the water, spun several times in the air, before falling
back into the water. The acrobatic display of the dolphin sent a thrill down my
spine. It was a sight to behold.
Leap, Spin, Dive, Land and Splash! - Spinner Dolphins
Soon other members of the pod
also started spinning, though not all at the same time. They repeated their
spinning behavior again and again. Photographing the dolphins was not an easy
experience due to several reasons, including the rocking boat, fast movement of
the dolphins and not knowing from where the dolphins would surface. Nevertheless
it was an enjoyable experience photographing these beautiful and athletic
animals. After an amazing display lasting over 45 minutes, the dolphins finally
swam away.
A short clip of Spinner Dolphins at their athletic best
Athletic, Acrobatic, Graceful, Playful and Powerful - Spinner Dolphins
As we made our way back to the
shore, there was a mood of happiness and contentment in the boat. Not only did
the trip meet our expectations, it far exceeded it. The mighty Whales inspired
awe and amazement, while the playful Dolphins stole our hearts.
I had one more whale watching tour
planned for the next day. I wondered whether I would be able to see the
Blue Whale.
25th February 2016
After the registration
formalities, the tour started at 7 am in the morning. It was cloudy and windy
day. Because of the winds, the ocean was a lot choppier than the previous day. And
sure enough, a couple of passengers became sea-sick. It was sheer misery for
them as there was nothing they could do, but vomit repeatedly.
As far as the whale-watching was
concerned, there were no whales in sight even after an hour’s ride. In such
circumstances, the crew venture out further into the ocean, until they sight
the whales.
As we went further into the
ocean, the waves got higher. The boat rocked to and fro as it navigated over
the choppy waters. Every now and then, we got soaked by a high wave. Some of
the passengers moved to the back to avoid getting wet. I stayed put, as it was
a unique experience to be soaked in such a manner. Though, I ensured that my
camera and lenses were safe from the salt water, in a water-proof cover.
There were no whales in sight
even after the two hour mark. On enquiring I was informed that we had travelled
16 nautical miles out into the ocean, twice the distance travelled yesterday. But
within half-an-hour, we heard what we were craving to hear for the last two and
a half hours, ‘Blue Whale ahead!’. The words were a huge relief to the ears.
Soon, we were riding alongside an
adult Blue Whale. The first adjective that comes to mind when looking at the
Blue Whale is ‘Gigantic’
Gigantic - Blue Whale
The undisputed giant of the planet - Blue Whale
Blue whales can grow upto a
maximum 30 metres (98 feet) and weigh as much as 170 tonnes. These whales are
bluish-grey in colour with a lighter shade underneath. Blue whales are the
largest and heaviest animals on the planet. (Source: Wikipedia)
The Sperm Whales had inspired awe
whereas watching the Blue Whale was a humbling experience. By it’s
sheer size, the Blue Whale made me realize how tiny humans really were.
Unlike the Sperm Whales that swam
on the surface for a long time, the Blue Whale dived after spending a minute or
so, on the surface. Each dive lasted for approximately 17 minutes. Therefore it
was a waiting game followed by a couple of minutes of hectic activity,
Photographing the Blue Whale was
proving to be a herculean task. Due to the choppy waters, the boat was rocking
from side to side. So much so, when I aimed at the water, I ended up
photographing the sky several times! The Whale slapped the water a couple of times with it's tail. I managed to grab a few images of the Blue
Whale. After 3 or 4 sightings in 45 minutes, we turned back in search of
Spinner Dolphins.
The tail slap - Blue Whale
The final glimpse - Blue Whale
After an hour’s ride, we spotted
a group of 15-20 dolphins as they rode the waves. But within no time, they
disappeared out of sight. There were no more dolphins to be seen anywhere. That
sadly signalled the end of the dolphin watching session. It was a big disappointment
when compared to the previous day’s sighting. I felt sorry for the other
tourists who had missed the dolphin show.
The difference in the tour experience between the two days, clearly illustrated how unpredictable nature and wildlife
sightings can be. The saving grace, as far as I was concerned, was the Blue
Whale sighting. It was my first ever sighting of a Blue Whale and that made it memorable.
The memories would remain with me for a
very long time.
The entire Mirissa experience was
a dream come true, thanks to the Blue Whale, Sperm Whale and Spinner Dolphin
sightings. It was definitely worth a visit. And I had already started planning
for my next visit!
