Safety and rules for ethical whale watching on the East Coast

Under the Department of Wildlife Conservation guidelines, boats must maintain a minimum distance of 100 meters from the whales. They must reduce speed to a no-wake crawl and approach parallel to the animal. It is highly illegal to approach head-on or cut off their path. Ensure you book with a large, reputable operator in Trincomalee or use the official Navy boat tours, as they strictly enforce these safety rules.