In general, I believe that anything is possible, that’s mostly what’s got us where we are today. But if you’d asked me, even 3 weeks ago, if I ever thought I’d see a blue whale, the biggest creature that has ever existed on our fragile planet, the answer would have been a resounding “No!”. But then we went to Mirissa. In this post we’ll tell you how to book a whale-watching trip from Mirissa harbour (actually, Weligama, or between the two,) how to get to Mirissa, and where to stay.
How To See a Blue Whale in Sri Lanka
Sightings are not guaranteed, obviously, but on our whale-watching trip from Mirissa we saw at least one blue whale plus right whales. These trips also spot dolphins but none were around on the day we visited.
The easiest way to organise a whale watching trip is to book online. Mirissa is on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka and is pretty easy to reach from Colombo, Galle, Bentota etc. There are also whale-watching trips from Sri Lanka’s north east coast, from Trincomalee.
Book a morning whale watching from Mirissa here.
Alternatively book a whale watching tour to Merissa from Colombo, Galle, Aluthgama, Weligama, Bentota, Matara, Kalutara, or Mirissa itself. This tour also gives you the option to snorkel and spot turtles from Merissa beach. This is an add-on to the whale watching cost and has an additional fee.
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How To Get To Mirissa
Since the new inland highway opened in Sri Lanka, southeast coast road journeys are much faster, but less scenic. The coastal road and railway have always been my favourite journies on the island. If you want to travel independently around the island or to Mirissa, we suggest you use this company, or our widget below to check, bus, train, minivan, or even flights. It will give you journey times, departure times and costs side by side. We’ve set it to Colombo to Mirissa, but you can change your departure point or destination.
Mirissa is a really nice spot to spend a few days if you’re travelling around Sri Lanka. It’s one of our favourite places in Sri Lanka. We recommend this hotel (on Booking.com). It is moderately priced, has family rooms and sea views. It’s also on Agoda here.
Quick Blue Whale Facts
Blue whales come in at around 100 feet ( 30 m) long and weigh in at 200 tons.
Their tongues alone can weigh as much as an elephant ( that’s impressive!).
There are thought to be 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales left.
Blue whales are baleen whales, they eat krill.
The best place to see blue whales would be off the California coast. Or is it?
(Thanks to National Geographic Blue Whales and Telegraph Travel Whale Watching)
Mirissa Sri Lanka. The Best Place to See Blue Whales
I really didn’t believe we’d see a blue whale. After an hour in what I considered an inadequately sized boat and seeing nothing more thrilling than a few flying fish, I was expecting to get our whale-no-show 50% refund.
Then it happened.
A huge white plume of air and water shot into the sky ahead of us. The first thing we saw, the whale’s spout, the second a dark shape on the surface of the water. We’d found our whale. A huge and lengthy shape slowly gliding down into the depths giving us a flash of an enormous tail as he disappeared.
We saw several whales this morning, blue whales and the stockier right whales. We didn’t get very close and none of them were doing back flips for us, but it was an experience I wouldn’t have missed for the world.
My camera is still very sick indeed, but I’ve done my best with what I could get.
What Does Whale Watching in Mirissa Cost?
It cost us $100 for the four of us a few years back. Today (2024) the price has risen, but it’s still affordable. The children were half-price. The cost included transport from our guest house in Mirissa to the harbour and a simple breakfast. If this was a whale-watching tour in Australia you’d easily pay that much each.
I have no idea what they charge you to see a whale in California, if you’ve seen a blue whale over there please tell me.
There were only 12 of us on the boat, we each had a life jacket and comfortable chairs, so comfortable that most of us nodded off on the way back.
The boat was small enough to scare me, I’m a landlubber, but perfectly adequate with shade and a raised viewing deck. The crew knew exactly what they were doing and where to find us a whale. Add to that the Sri Lankan charm, lovely manners and good looks and you’ve got an all round great experience.
Was This a Whale Friendly Operation?
Absolutely yes, our guys cared about the sea. As soon as whales appeared the crew cut the engines and drifted quietly so as not to disturb them. There are international whale watching standards. Boats must not get within 100 yards of any whale. They didn’t.
Occasionally a whale would surface closer to one of the boats, there were 5 or so boats in the area, that was just good luck.
At one point a little boat with an outboard motor appeared on the scene and almost drove over a whale. Our guys weren’t standing for that at all, they screamed and shouted at this skipper and immediately called the coastguard to rep
ort him. The coast guard boat was with us very soon, in hot pursuit of this cowboy.
As we were enjoying a snooze after an early morning and all that fresh air, we passed the local fishermen returning with their catch. Now here’s a sobering thought, we’d travelled for over an hour by boat to get where we were.
These guys had rowed out there. Total respect for Sri Lankans!
Is it Worth Going Whale Watching in Sri Lanka?
For us it was worth it. To see a blue whale is pretty mind-blowing. We live on the Great Barrier Reef when we’re not travelling and we see a lot of humpback whales. These whales in Sri Lanka weren’t breaching and generally performing as the humpbacks can, but yes, it was worth going if you have an interest in marine creatures.
Looking for a place to stay in Sri Lanka? Start your hotel search here on Agoda.
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Whale watching in Mirissa is one of the top leisure activity that could be taken up by those visiting the southern part of the Island .In fact Mirissa is the world’s No one hot spot for witnessing blue whales in their natural habitat.now for the well being of both the whales and human whale watching in Mirissa 100% regulated by the government.actually it is a once in a lifetime opportunity see these giants creatures swimming right in front of you come and enjoy it with us whale watching Mirissa
It was one of the most amazing things we ever saw. We see humpback whales all the time in Australia but these – if they were blue whales and obviously, we couldn’t tell – awesome.
A really great company I used for whale watching are Whale Watching Sri Lanka. The experience was exactly as you described – friendly staff, breakfast, beverages and beer on the boat, a pick up from the hotel, the tour lasted about 4 hours and the children were half price. It cost us a total of $75 for 2 adults and 3 children (my under 6 year old was free). If you call Nihal the owner and book you can get a 50% discount.
It looks amazing, and in life size.
Is made from rubber or? it can open its mouth to see the teeth?
Hi,
We are a couple in Sri Lanka at the moment and loving your Sri Lanka posts. We head to Mirissa tomorrow, we will check out the accommodation you suggested and also hope to see the whales.
Which whale watching company did you use?
Thank you
Louise
Hi Louise, I can’t remember which boat, sorry, but they all go out together and end up in the same area. I don’t think it makes much difference.
All hail the rowers! That really is amazing.
Well, alright, the blue whales were kind of cool, too 🙂 .
That’s so cool! I’ve seen humpback and pilot whales but not blue whale. That one is next on my list!
Woohoo!
Sounds like you’re all having a ‘WHALE’ of a time (ka boom!)
Great post as usual.
Keep ’em coming. My child is getting her Social Studies/Geography/Science etc all ticked off through your posts.
Loved reading this post!! So exciting.
Wow, I had no idea you could see Blue Whales in Sri Lanka. That looks amazing!!!! Great price, too.
How fab is this!!!!! It’s days like this that remind you why you love travelling.
Well done you guys!! How exciting. I have a photo of my daughter taken in exactly the same spot in the Natural History Museum.