When in Mirissa, Sri Lanka whale watching can’t be missed!!
We started our second day early almost at 5am. The other night we could not sleep well because we were extremely excited for the whale watching experience. We booked our tour from Whale Watching Club as it’s considered  to be one of the most high rated agency. To our surprise the tuk tuk driver reached our hotel gate right on time  and we drove towards the Mirissa harbour. We reached their office 6am approx. and we departed at 6.30am.
Also note, if you are living near Mirissa area the agency itself will provide you free pickup but if you are somewhere in faraway distant you may need to book your own transport. Please keep in mind to share your exact location, room number and phone number so that the tuk tuk driver can reach out to you without any confusion. If you are reaching alone from your hotel you can easily use your google map and search for ‘Whale Watching Club’ and which will easily direct you to the location so you don’t have to worry much.
It’s basically 5-8hrs tour. What we found the best about them was that the team was very professional and truly they reach out for customer satisfaction. Also they made sure we can spot number of whales and dolphins irrespective of time.
What the tour includes
So once you start the journey you will be served breakfast with tea and coffee. The breakfast served would probably have eggs, sandwich, sausage, pan cakes, bananas and bottle water. So don’t be in a hope to indulge yourself in something lavish, basically it would just be basic. We boarded a small yacht which had a capacity of 50 people but on our trip they only accommodated 30-35 passengers so the tour experience remains smooth and hassle free. We were also told that if we are not able to spot whales during our tour they would again take us for a free tour the next day. While coming back to the harbour they also provided us with some lunch consisting of fruits, roti with sambal, coke, biscuits and coconuts. The price when we visited was 40 USD/6000 LKR per person.
Possibilities and Probabilities
It was one of the memorable day for us and still we don’t miss a moment to cherish it. Trust us it would be one of the best experience on can have. If it’s you lucky day you can definitely spot thousands of dolphins and also spinner dolphins. You can also spot different species of whales and turtles as well. But don’t be heartbroken if you can’t spot whales because these creatures migrate from place to place.
Things to keep in mind before you start   Â
The first and most important thing we would suggest is to check the weather forecast and if the time is suitable for a whale watching trip. The beginning of our journey served us really well. The sun shined bright and the clouds were clear. But in no time it down poured without any prior notice so please ensure to check the weather forecast beforehand to have a great experience. With rain the sea might get rough. We did went through a rough patch post the rains.
Things to carry
- Despite of clear weather the sea might be really rough so please carry some motion sickness tablets.
- Carry your own towels
- Don’t forget sunscreen
- Raincoat
- Extra pair of clothes
We were provided with experienced and friendly guide who will help you in everything you ask for and even we were pretty amazed by the hospitality they offered. Â
We spotted 2 whales and hundreds of dolphins swimming ahead with us. Honestly it was one of the sight we would never forget. We wish you too can spot plenty of them and make the most of your time in Mirissa. Trust us you would not regret a single moment here in this whale watching trip. Enjoy!!
Do check out our Sri Lanka Blog series posts below to know more!!
