Blue Whale Extravaganza

Sri Lanka is one of the top whale and dolphin watching destinations on the planet, and this is a reasonably well kept secret. This means that instead of 50 boats and hundreds of tourists you will only share the wonderful blue whales, sperm whales, fin whales and numerous dolphin species with only 3-4 other boats! Being based on the beautiful south coast of Sri Lanka you can easily get lost in the relaxing in between boat trips. This tour offers you the chance to be one of the first to see the wealth of marine life there is here and visit what has to be the best place in the world to see blue whales.

Top Whale Watching Destination

4 days on the Whale Watching Boats

90% Success of Blue Whales

Optional Snorkeling of nearby Coral Reef

Up to 10 Species of Marine Mammal

Professional Marine Mammal Expert Guide

Blue Whale
Sperm Whale
Spinner Dolphin
Fin Whale
Tropical Common Dolphin
Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Destination:

Sri Lanka

Tour Dates:

7/3/2013 - 13/3/2013

Duration:

7 nights

Type / Focus:

Whales & Dolphins

Tour Difficulty:

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Price:

£1655 per person

Deposit:

£415 per person

Single Supplement:

£330

Minimum Passengers:

4 persons (total) before tour runs

Holiday Breakdown

Day 1

Mirissa

On arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport you will be met by your zoologist escort and your Sri Lankan guide/driver and transferred in our private air conditioned vehicle to our accommodation in Mirissa (3-4 hours), level – 3* (Hotel Mirissa). Once here you will just relax and enjoy the beach-side property and have a good rest after your flight and before your first trip into the blue.

Day 2

Mirissa

Today you will start early and head to the harbor for around 06:00am. From here you will board your whale watching vessel with your expert zoologist guide and local whale watching experts. You will head around 6-10 miles offshore to where the continental shelf drops off and the upwelling brings nutrient rich water to surface which in turn brings the krill, fish and whales! The concentrations of blue whales here are second to none and it is not unusual to see 4-5 blue whales together. This usually lasts 5-6 hours and we will have breakfast on board before coming back to the accommodation, level – 3* (Hotel Mirissa) and the rest of the day will be free for you to relax and maybe enjoy some snorkeling along the shoreline.

Day 3

Mirissa

This morning you will once again be taken to the harbor in the morning for another whale watching trip. Alongside blue whales the continental shelf here is also a hotspot for sperm whales as they travel through the Indian Ocean. When they are spotted by their distinctive angled blow it is not uncommon to be surrounded by a large feeding pod. We will return around midday and enjoy the rest of the day at the accommodation, level - 3* (Hotel Mirissa).

Day 4

Mirissa

Today you can have a lie in and relax all day, there is the chance of snorkeling further down the coast on some of the coral reefs around Unawatuna. You will have your meals at the accommodation, level 3* (Hotel Mirissa) and prepare for tomorrow and another day at sea.

Day 5

Mirissa

This morning will be spent back at sea and this time trying to find some of the many dolphin species of the area. The species most likely to be seen are common bottlenose dolphins, topical common dolphins and the spectacular spinner dolphins. You will be back at the accommodation, level 3* (Hotel Mirissa) in time for lunch and your evening meal will also be at the hotel.

Day 6

Mirissa

Today you can either join the boat crew and have one last chance at seeing the blue whales and the other marine life of the Sri Lankan coastline or you can have the day to yourself if you wish. You meals will be at the accommodation, level 3* (Hotel Mirissa).

Day 7

Negombo

This morning we can rise a little later than usual and head towards Negombo (3-4 hours) and along the way visit Galle and the 400 year old Dutch Fort before arriving at our accommodation, level 3* (Paradise Beach Hotel) in Negombo for your farewell dinner.

Day 8

Home

After breakfast you will be transferred to International Airport so you can catch your return flight home.

Please note that the itinerary stated above is correct as our planned intentions for the tour. However adverse weather conditions and other local considerations can necessitate some modifications of the itinerary during the course of the tour; any changes will be made to make the best of the time and weather conditions available to us.

This tour is available on different date (subject to availability) please contact us for more details about running this tour on a date which suits you more.

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Extra Information

Weather Conditions

The weather during the whale watching season is usually mild to hot with an average temperature of 26 degrees C and highs of 30 degrees C. There is little rain but it can be relatively humid (around 75%). There are occasional thunderstorms in the evenings.

What's Included

Everything mentioned in the itinerary is included. Including three meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). There will be an amount of bottled water (approx 1ltr) available for each guest each day. We have our own private air conditioned Tempo Traveler with an excellent local driver. We have two brilliant guides; first an professional zoologist will escort you on all your excursions and we also use a very knowledgeable English speaking local guides.

All our excursions including whale watching and monument entrance fees are also included.

Personal Equipment

We recommend you bring along your own binoculars or scope as well as appropriate clothing; which should be light and airy clothes as well as a waterproof coat as it may rain whilst on the boat. Insect repellent is handy as there can be mosquitoes about during the evenings and nights. Andy medication, books or other items of a personal nature is of course up to you to bring along. Oh and please bring plenty of memory cards or film for your camera. Also do not forget sun cream, sun hat and sun glasses as the sun can be strong here during the day. Also if you have your own mask, snorkel and fins they are always good to have as the snorkeling is great.

Included Equipment

We provide a comprehensive species list of all the vertebrates present in the areas we are visiting as well as some of the best field guides and reference books for the areas we are visiting. There is usually a spare pair of binoculars but in a group of 4-6 people these do not stretch too far.

Extra Expenses

Nearly everything is included in this tour. The only things not included are international flights, travel insurance (contact us for more information one what is required from your insurance policy), any food bought outside of the three main meals, drinks outside of any offered with the meals and the bottled water provided each day and any items of a personal nature such as souvenirs and tips. Any applicable departure taxes and not included (but maybe included in the cost of your flights). Please check before departure. Also if you do not have your own snorkeling gear, this can be hired for a fee of around £7 per day from the many beach retailers.

Flight Information

As we are based in Manchester we recommend flights from Manchester International Airport

We recommend Qatar Airways of Etihad Airways as a good airlines for flights to Colombo. One of the best websites to search for the best fares is www.holidaygenie.com. They are an ATOL bonded companies and this provide all the securities related to ATOL protection. Please check our terms and conditions regarding booking flights.

Please contact us for more information about flights and we can provide you with a link direct to the flights from another supplier; in which case you only have to enter the passenger information and payment details. By using the above link you will leave our site and we at Royle Safaris hold no responsibility for the content on the site.

Visas and Health Information

All UK passport holders and most other nationalities are required to have a visa for Sri Lanka. However these are usually given out free of charge for 30 days on arrival at the airport. The easiest way to find information is by visiting http://www.slhclondon.org/ (be aware that this link leaves our site and we at Royle Safaris hold no responsibility for information on the site).

There are no mandatory vaccinations needed to visit Sri Lanka, but it is recommended to be protected against TB, polio, typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis A as well as taking a form of malaria prophylactics. Please consult your GP about your individual requirements for visiting Sri Lanka as soon as you have decided on this trip.

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