Sri Lanka is the best place to watch blue whales in the world. The island nation in the Indian Ocean, located relatively close to the coast of India, is a year-round starting point for enthusiasts who want to enjoy the unexpectedly elegant movements among the waves of the largest animal in the world. The starting point for a several-hour boat trip in the footsteps of marine mammals is the port city of Mirisa.
The secret to the success of this type of excursion is that the sighting of blue whales is almost 100 percent guaranteed throughout the year. Because it is the shores of Sri Lanka that have been chosen as the permanent home of family whales. Only people who suffer from seasickness can’t enjoy the experience, given that they board a small ship, and the ocean waves sometimes do not joke and turn the dream trip literally into a nightmare.
However, everyone else who does not have vestibular problems will be fascinated by the trip, and in addition to blue whales will be able to enjoy from the deck the playful dance of different species of dolphins. Undoubtedly, however, the most happy cries from tourists snatch the water fountains of the blue whales. And just to imagine the dimensions – the newborn blue whales are about 7 meters long. And the big ones are significantly bigger and reach over 30 meters or as much as an 8-storey block. The tongue of the blue whale alone weighs about 4.7 tons and is as big as an elephant. And the males reach a weight of 180 tons.
If you don’t like water adventures, you maybe will prefer to experience a land safari in Sri Lanka. In Yala National Park, if you are more lucky, you can watch wild leopards. There are only 16 of the beautiful animals, which are skillfully covered in the surrounding trees and take a nap. Even if you do not see the beautiful predators in the reserve, you will be able to photograph relatively closely a wide variety of birds, water buffaloes, elephants, crocodiles and other animals. In the temples and hotels of the island nation, you can get to know very closely different types of monkeys, which, although rare, can become aggressive if you do not give them the food or coconut that you took for cooling.
Sri Lanka has several attractions that are a must stop for tourists. In the first place among them is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Kandy. According to the legend, the golden tooth of the Buddha himself is kept in it and the locals claim that this is the biggest jewel of the country. The sacred tooth is believed to have been brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century by Princess Orison, who carried the tooth in her hair to the island to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The other interesting landmark is the Lion Rock – Sigiriya. There are preserved frescoes called the divine girls. According to UFO seekers, their flying positions hide more secrets than can be seen with the naked eye. The rock caves-temples in Dambulla are also on the UNESCO list. The oldest of the Buddhist shrines is from the 1st century BC. The walls and ceilings of the five caves are painted with Buddhist frescoes, and the complex houses more than 130 statues of Buddha.
