Whale-watching from above in Sri Lanka

05 Jun 2018 2209 | World Travel News

Why
Whale-watching from above is a new concept in Sri Lanka with F-Air promoting “air tourism”. The company follows the Whale and Dolphin Watching Regulations and Guidelines closely, flying at least 1,000 feet (305m) above sea level before coming down to 700 feet when a mammal is spotted in the ocean.

The flight also gives guests an aerial view of different places of beauty that may otherwise require some work to get to, including picturesque scenes of temples, lakes, mountain ranges and the Weligama Bay, which has a lovely resort perched on a small hill abutting the beach.

Whale sighted spraying water out in plumes near the ocean surface

What
At the Sri Lanka Airforce base at Koggala Airport, Galle, where F-Air’s three aircraft are parked, guests preparing to take off on the four-seater Cessna 172 aircraft are greeted with a chilled drink and a comfortable check-in lounge by a lake at the tail-end of the runway.

Whales are generally located between five to 15 nautical miles (8-25km) off the coast and as we fly above a cluster of tourist boats below – also on the same whale-watching expedition – we spot a blue whale.

The boats close in like a race – the fastest to get there gets the best (camera) shot – and it was then I got a better appreciation of how much of a luxury the plane tour was. We drop down to 700 feet and got a clear sight of a large, majestic blue whale at the surface of the water, spraying water out in plumes as it breathes.

In the midst of the excitement of my fellow whale watchers scrambling for their long-range cameras, another whale surfaces.

At different points, lone whales or those moving in groups are spotted gliding through the turquoise blue waters. Another perk of viewing from atop is that the aircraft are quieter than boats so whales are less likely to be scared away as planes approach.

We witness a whale take a huge dive beneath the surface, and Sanjay Adhikari, CEO at F-Air, shared with me that it would take 10 to 15 minutes for the majestic creature to surface again, since it dives to the depth of the ocean before rising.

As the Cessna moves away from the whales, we spot dolphins, a pod of 10 to 15 pilot whales, about four turtles and a group of wind surfers having fun, ending a magical 45-minute ride.