OneCeylon
beaches
All questions

Legal distance for whale watching boats in Mirissa for safety

Seen by 59 travellers
Jump to the accepted answer
O
Oliver B.•10770 rep•2

I want to see blue whales but I heard some boats chase them dangerously What is the legal distance they must keep under wildlife rules

11
beacheswildlifesafety

8 Answers from travellers

✓Accepted Answer

Under the Department of Wildlife Conservation laws, boats must stay at least 100 meters away from a whale. They must reduce speed to a no-wake crawl, and they must approach parallel to the whale, never head-on or from directly behind. Avoid the cheap street touts; book with ethical operators like Raja and the Whales who strictly follow these laws.

31
D
Dr. Nimal.•10010 rep•1

The Coast Guard actually patrols the waters now and will fine captains who break the 100m limit.

50
B
Bhante S.•28240 rep•1

Is a 200mm camera lens good enough from 100 meters away.

42
O
Oliver B.•10770 rep•2

The small speedboats are the worst offenders. Always book a larger, stable vessel.

36
B
Bhante S.•28240 rep•1

Do not use a drone. Drones are strictly banned near marine wildlife.

23
N
Noah D.•25260 rep•2

I was on a boat that chased a whale and it was terrifying for both us and the animal. Report them if they do.

19
N
Noah D.•25260 rep•2

Yes, blue whales are massive. 200mm is perfect. 400mm is better if you want close-up tail shots.

10
D
Dr. Nimal.•10010 rep•1

Thanks, I will book with Raja and bring the long lens.

8
O
Oliver B.•10770 rep•2

You must be logged in to post an answer.

Log In to Answer

Related questions

Browse all questions