Jetwing Personalities

Photos and Text – Riaz Cader

A lone bull Sperm Whale was making a bee-line straight towards our 19-footer boat, pausing and occasionally sticking its head out of the water to investigate the curious inhabitants on-board. It got to within a few feet and swam right past, providing fantastic opportunities for photography in what was one of the most awe-inspiring encounters with a wild animal I’ve had to date. Obtaining such a sighting however was no straight forward task. After initially locating the Sperm Whales at a distance the boatman was instructed to maneuver the boat using an arc-forward technique, which required pulling away from the whale circling around and getting well-ahead of the whale directly along its travel path and then switching off the engine. This provided the Sperm Whale the option of choosing whether or not to approach the boat without any undue harassment and was a technique that had worked with remarkable success throughout the expedition.

I was out at sea from Kalpitiya on the 16^th and 17^th April with Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, one of Sri Lanka’s most known wildlife personalities and Ashan Seneviratne from Little Adventures in a joint effort to try and locate and promote the Kalpitiya Peninsula as possibly Sri Lanka’s top spot for watching Sperm Whales. Ashan had also got the local hoteliers Maithri Liyanage (Ruwala Nature Resort) and Howard Martensyn (Bar Reef Resort and Dolphin Beach) involved. Throughout the expedition, the boats were to communicate with each other and scan the ‘Sperm Whale line’, popularly dubbed by Gehan as the strip between E79 35 and E79 37 longitudinal lines where the continental shelf runs parallel to the land about seven nautical miles from the shore. The 400 metre depth line lies along the continental shelf and has been identified as the average hunting depth for Sperm Whales.

We arrived at Duch Bay where a boatman awaited us after a 3:00am start from Colombo, where Iqbal Hassen was kind enough to host us at Baywatch Eco Resort on the Northern-tip of the Kalpitiya Peninsula. After some initial delays, we finally got underway at about 9:00am. There was a lot of excitement in Kalpitiya unconfirmed reports from the boatman suggested that a large number of Sperm Whales possibly numbering over 150 individuals were seen over the recently concluded Sinhalese and Tamil New Year weekend. Maithri had his son Mithun been out to sea the previous day and had seen a large group of Sperm Whales counting at least fifty individuals.

Within about an hour of sailing out in sea conditions so flat which resembled a river, we saw a ‘spout’ and a Bryde’s Whale made a brief appearance not too far off Kandakuliya. Almost immediately afterwards we were on the trail of a pod of Spinner Dolphins on the hunt numbering in the hundreds. Soon our boatman had spotted some whales in the distance and myself and Ashan saw a large vertical column of water at a distance which I initially suspected to be that from a Humpback Whale, a species which is reputed for breaching on a regular basis. Upon closing in, the angled blows from the spout and the rectangular shaped heads confirmed that we were infact following a group of Sperm Whales. Using the arc-forward technique with great success we managed to watch what was estimated to be around five to eight individual Sperm Whales at close range when we decided to leave the area.

On day two, the wind had picked up and sea conditions were noticeably rougher yet permitted sailing. Upon leaving Dutch-bay we decided to do an initial search along the Sperm Whale strip heading Northwards first before turning around while maintaining contact with Maithri who was heading South from Kandakuliya. After a couple of hours, we got a call from Maithri that a large pod of Sperm Whales numbering over fifty individuals was travelling South. We made a bee-line towards the initial location given by Maithri ignoring the pod of Spinner Dolphins en-route. By the time we got there the whales had continued to move further South and drifting East away from the land and it took almost another half an hour to locate them. We had travelled over twenty nautical miles and encountered what appeared to be the tail-end of the pod where around 15 – 18 individuals were seen on the move off Norocholai area about nine nautical miles from the land. Unfortunately the boat was now running low on fuel and we had to prematurely call off our search and make a hasty retreat towards the land.

Very little is known about Sperm Whales in Sri Lanka; sightings from Mirissa over the past few seasons appear to indicate that they migrate through Sri Lanka around December and return around March –April when there is a peak in sightings. They are often seen travelling in large groups which can sometimes number over a hundred individuals so while the high numbers might be an unusual occurrence for the onlookers at Kalpitiya, it is perfectly inline with Sperm Whale behaviour.

Kalpitiya is currently recognized as Sri Lanka’ top spot for watching dolphins, Spinner Dolphins are encountered on virtually a daily basis and pods numbering in the hundreds are seen regularly during the season which spans from November to April. But there is a much bigger story to be unveiled;. the close proximity of the continental shelf from the mainland and regular sightings of Sperm Whales between February – April 2010 on research expeditions run through Jetwing Eco Holidays and Bar Reef Resort (Formerly Alankuda Beach) has led Gehan to publicize Kalpitiya over the past two years as being the top spot in Sri Lanka and possibly in Asia for watching Sperm Whales. While the signs look promising, more data is needed to establish as to whether there are even a handful of Sperm Whales residing in the area for a longer period of time. In Kaikoura off New Zealand for example there are a handful of resident Sperm Whales which permits whale watching year-round.

Unfortunately the boatman operating in Kalpitiya are often unaware and on occasion even reluctant to venture beyond the reef to deeper waters in search of the whales and seemed predominantly interested in focusing solely on the dolphin watching. Despite such setbacks, a number of clients sent out from Jetwing Eco Holidays have had success in spotting Sperm Whales off Kalpitiya around March to April in both 2011 and 2012. With the Kalpitiya hoteliers and boatman now showing a greater interest in targeting the whales, it is expected that the 2012/13 season will provide more sightings enabling Kalpitiya to be recognized as one of the best places in Asia to watch Sperm Whales.

Riaz Cader is a wildlife photographer and works as Assistant Manager – Nature & Community Projects for Jetwing Hotels

The year 2007 brought great happiness to wildlife enthusiasts as it was confirmed that migratory whales were journeying through Sri Lanka’s southern seas. This affirmation gained southern Sri Lanka a worldwide reputation as one of the best locations for observing and photographing magnificent Blue Whales. Mirissa is one of the key places to visit during the months of December to April if you are fan of these beautiful marine mammals, when the deep blue waters of the vast Indian ocean is the perfect place to observe them along with occasional Sperm Whales and Spinner Dolphins. Over the years, Mirissa, located less than an hour’s drive from Jetwing Lighthouse has become a popular spot for whale watching excursions.

The 5th of November started off as a gusty and gloomy morning as I led yet another group of whale fans out on an excursion into the rough waves of the southern sea. After hours of motoring around the distant coastline in search of the shy mammals, we headed back to shore. All of a sudden, in the distance we spotted what we though were a herd of Sperm Whales however upon closer inspection, we were ecstatic to discover that they were actually Blue Whales! They appeared to be traveling with the ocean current from the west to the east towards the colder waters of Bay of Bengal to cool their gigantic bodies and to search for bigger supplies of food and to mate.

At this time the group and I were floating 8.86 miles away from the coast of Mirissa alongside the Blue Whales who were traveling at quite a speed on the waves, diving and shooting water from their blowholes as they surfaced and moved through the water. The biggest surprise was the sheer number of these splendid animals. We spotted 25 individuals and I am certain there were more beneath the waves. It most definitely was the largest number of Blue Whales I had ever seen on an excursion! The discovery is certainly a natural wonder and optimistic news for me and other whale enthusiasts as it points out the increase in the Blue Whale population and their increased activity off the deep southern coast!

The Slender Loris is a small nocturnal primate which has been thought extinct in Sri Lanka for the last 74 years. Recently it was spotted in the Horton Plains by a team of Scientists. The discovery of its existence caused much excitement among wildlife enthusiasts such as myself and urged me to go out and experience a sighting of my own!

On the 13th of October, after hearing an animal call very similar to the whistle of the Slender Loris, I set off on a night time excursion to the forested areas near the archeological sites of Polonnaruwa with a company of friends. We left Jetwing Vil Uyana at about 7 p.m. to look for the mysterious little mammal. We walked along a familiar jungle path in utmost silence. We were looking for about 30 minutes, our eyes peeled in the faint light provided by the torches we carried which were covered red cellophane. This was done to prevent disturbing the small creatures in case we suddenly came across one. Their large eyes are sensitive to bright lights.

Our long search was rewarded when we flashed the torch on to a big tree and we saw two lorises huddled together amongst the foliage. We were silent and careful not to disturb them. Then they slowly disengaged and started moving in a playful manner, moving from branch to branch, and giving us a good opportunity to photograph them.

We spent about 20 minutes observing them before moving deeper into the forest. There we came across three separate individuals well hidden in the scrub land above 2-3 metres from the ground in the same area.

I assume this location contains a healthy population of the Grey Slender Loris which is the sub species of the dry zone, although there is another sub species (the Red Slender Loris) belonging to the wet zone near Horton Plains. I am planning to organise excursions such as this in the future for the guests of Jetwing Vil Uyana! These furry creatures are a real splendor to see!

Hi everyone, I’m Anoma. I believe in the thrill for adventure. Day in and day out, as a Naturalist, I help people discover and enjoy the adventurous side of Sri Lanka’s natural beauty! It is with great pleasure that I share my experiences with everyone on my recent whale watching tours.

It was 6.15 in the morning as I packed my equipment to guide an immensely keen family of four as we left the Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel in Galle. The exact location for whale watching is an area close to Galle named Mirissa. 15 more joined us and our journey started at 7.15 from Mirissa as we were welcomed by the waves of the Indian Ocean as it soaked us with the awaited adventure.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a mix of many nationalities within my tour group. It demonstrated that the passion for adventure and love for the ocean is simply universal. This is exactly the kind of motivation I need!

Right from the beginning we were looking for the Whales. We saw some Grate Crested Terns passing us by, followed by some fishing boats which were heading towards the harbor.  Suddenly we spotted a Green Turtle! An hour passed by and we were lucky to witness more than 20 Spinner Dolphins!

While we sailed further we were able to spot a Blue Whale spout! We kept following the Whale’s spout which suddenly disappeared. We kept our voice low and our senses alert, yearning to spot the beautiful creature again. A few second later we heard a sharp reverberating blow from beneath the deck of the boat! Two beautiful whales emerged from the water right next to us, just a few meters away!

You have to be very lucky to meet with such a rare and superb encounter such as this, however with practice and familiarity of these magnificent creatures I have gained knowledge about their migratory patterns. An experience of a lifetime for my travelers, as for me, I just love my job!

Hello everyone, I’m Chaminda from Vil Uyana. One of the advantages of being a Naturalist is the familiarity of knowing when and where to observe animals. Let me take you on an expedition to Minneriya, where it is now the best time to study the migratory behaviour of Elephants.

Minneriya National Wildlife Park is located between Habarana and Polonnaruwa. The predominant feature of this incredible 8890 hectares park is the ancient, man-made Minneriya Tank. It was built in the 3^rd century by King Mahasena. The dry season (July to November) is the best time to visit the park, as large herds of Spotted and Sambar Deer, and Elephants come to bath and graze on the grass alongside the tank. Huge flocks of birds also come to nosedive into the shallow waters in search of fish, and you may even be lucky enough to spot a leopard quietly quenching its thirst or stalking deer.

Taking the Sigiriya – Habarana road, the wildlife park is a 45 minute drive from Jetwing Vil Uyana. The afternoon is the best time to depart as the elephants go to bathe at the tank between 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The months of the dry season are also the times of seasonal movement for these large mammals. The gathering peaks between the months of July to September. Wild elephants from all the surrounding areas, from as far as Wasgamuwa and Kanthale congregate at the Minneriya Park due to the availability of water during the dry season. The receding waters of the tank also leave behind rich, freshly sprouting grass, which is a favorite among the elephants.

During the rainy season, which begins around October/ November each year, the reservoirs fill up. Having adequate water and food in other surrounding areas, the elephant begin to move away from Minneriya National Park.

These are the numbers of elephants seen at Minneriya National Park during July and August:

01 July – 198 Elephants

24 July – 230 + Elephants

25 July (Morning) – 25 Elephants

28 July – 175 Elephants

12 August – 110+ Elephants

13 August – 85 Elephants

Up to 300+ elephants including their young are known to have been seen around the tank during these months, which is why it is popularly known as the ‘Elephant Gathering’ period. If you visit Minneriya during this time of year, you will have an fascinating and unforgettable experience!

Hello Readers, my name is Nayanapriya. As a Naturalist, my job is to take people on adventure filled journeys and help them discover the fauna and flora of my country. Today I have some information about the Knuckles that I would like to share with you.

The Knuckles mountain range gets its name from its geological form, the shape of a clenched fist! It is considered a scenic wonderland. Covering part of the Kandy and Matale districts, it is separated from the Central Hills by the Mahaveli Valley and the Matale Valley. Its remarkable landscape is regularly concealed behind a blanket of thick mist. In addition to its aesthetic value, the range also holds great scientific interest. Stretching an impressive 155 square kilometres, it contains five major forest formations and crystal clear rivers; it is the home of a wide variety of rare and endemic flora and fauna.

Climatically it is very diverse due to the effects of the monsoons and wind patterns. In fact, most of the climatic conditions of Sri Lanka can be found within the Knuckles mountain range. The changes in climate can be experienced in just one and a half hours of walking through the dense vegetation.

A trail through the Knuckles is one like no other. It is a major eco tourism spot in Sri Lanka and has been declared a conservation area known as the Knuckles National Heritage and Wilderness Area. A five hour tour commences at 7:00 am from Jetwing Hunas Falls. The destination lies 35 kilometres away; however the distance is hardly felt as you will be pleasantly surprised by all the wonders you see on the way!

The essentials you will need to bring with you are water bottles, a picnic breakfast, a hat, insect repellent and leech socks. Guests are advised to wear earth coloured clothes for bird watching, you are also welcome to bring binoculars and cameras. The Knuckles mountain range is an ideal paradise for those of you who love to hike or mountain bike. The atmosphere is filled with adventure!

Hope to take you all on a trail someday.

Hi everyone, I’m Hasantha and I’m a Naturalist. My job enables me to do what I love! Explore and expand my knowledge about nature, especially the fauna and flora of beautiful Sri Lanka. Every excursion I take with my clients is an enjoyable and unique adventure.

Located in the Puttalam District of the North Western province of Sri Lanka, the Anawilundawa wetland sanctuary covers 1400 hectares and is nestled between the coast and the Negombo railway line. The area is surrounded by lush paddy fields and is home to seven reservoirs, which were built by King Parakramabahu back in 1140 AD!

Our excursion took place on the 14^th of July as we set out to Anawilundawa. Normally, this is not the season for bird watching, however the area does promise frequent sightings of a number of resident water birds and other forest birds.

We visited the Chilaw fish market and ‘Pola’ (vegetable and fruit market) on our way back. This was an exciting cultural experience for our guests as they explored the stalls and were introduced to local greens and fruit. We also stopped by Munneswaram Shiva temple which is located a few kilometers away from Chilaw, and journeyed the rest of the way back to the hotel by train.

The ideal months for bird watching are November, December and January which is the Bird Migratory season. During this time, you are guaranteed to see a large number of migratory water birds, including the Garganey and Pintail Duck. Anawilundawa is the second declared RAMSAR wetland site in Sri Lanka and has proudly recorded the sighting of more that 150 species of birds. In addition to our feathered friends, you are bound to meet a wide array of butterflies and dragonflies in the wetland sanctuary.