A Whale of a time on the Indian Ocean!

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Mirissa

I reached Matara on 23^rd 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.

24^th 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.

25^th 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!