Trincomalee has quickly evolving into an important dolphin and whale watching destination for two reasons; the frequent sightings of Humpback whales, Blue whales and the discovery of several super pods of Sperm whales consisting of 50 members or more that reside in these waters during the peak whale watching window of March – May. Sporadic and random sightings continue during the year until September. Another important aspect of Trincomalee is that Whale sightings are also made relatively closer to shore compared to Sri Lanka’s other Whale watching destinations given the deep sea canyon of Trincomalee bay. Research has shown this to be a multiple submarine canyon complex which makes the Trincomalee bay and its adjacent waters ideal for sightings. Sightings can commence as close as 6-8 miles east off the coast of Trincomalee which is approximately a 30 minutes boat ride.
Dolphins, the main being the Spinner dolphins are also seen playing, dancing and showing off their acrobatic skills. Other dolphins that can be seen are Bottlenose Dolphins and Fraser’s Dolphins. Most sightings of the dolphin occur between March/April and August/September.
