Safety rules for ethical whale watching on East Coast

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Bhante S.17665 rep2

We are in Trincomalee for whale watching. What are the legal safety distance rules the boats must follow to protect the whales.

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4 Answers from travellers

Accepted Answer

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.

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Dr. Nimal.7280 rep2

If the captain starts revving the engine to chase them, yell at him to stop. Tourist pressure works.

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Oliver B.16125 rep2

Do not book the small fiberglass speedboats. They are the ones that constantly harass the animals and break the rules.

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Sophia M.7705 rep2

We will definitely stick to the larger, registered boats. Thank you.

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Bhante S.17665 rep2

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