Whale & Dolphin Watching Tour in Trincomalee
Whale Watching in Trincomalee – Memorable Tour
Embark on our Whale Watching in Trincomalee tour, a circa three-hour trip into the blue waters. An expert boatman will guide you as you sail the Indian Ocean in a comfortable, safe, and brand new boat.
Best Time and Location
The ocean is usually calmer in the morning, allowing you to enjoy its fresh breeze. During the day, temperatures rise significantly, so we recommend only short boat trips later on. Therefore, for an optimal experience, we schedule our tour at 6:00 AM. You will need to wake up a bit early, but we are confident this magical adventure will richly compensate your effort. Although whales and dolphins can be spotted throughout the Trincomalee area, we prefer the secluded Nilaveli area for our tours. Less touristic and crowded, it features a beautiful exotic beach we recommend visiting. Nilaveli is located north of Trincomalee, with Pigeon Island just in front of it.
What You Might See
You can encounter diverse marine life in their natural habitat. You often see beautiful mammals like Blue Whales, Sperm Whales, Bryde’s Whales, Spinner Dolphins, and Striped Dolphins. Sometimes, you may also see pods of Bottlenose Dolphins; their blows are noticeably louder compared to other dolphin species. In rare occasions, Killer Whales, Dwarf Sperm Whales, and Rough-Toothed Dolphins reveal their presence. The ocean here is full of fish, and frequently you can observe fish schools jumping out of the water. Spinner Dolphins are the most common cetacean species in Trincomalee. You often observe their pods following Yellowfin Tuna fish. Local fishermen take advantage of the highly visible Spinner pods to help locate and catch Yellowfins.
Whale watching in Trincomalee is not an exact science, and predicting the precise species you will see is difficult. However, by combining extensive local knowledge with an understanding of seasonal patterns, our expert guides will skillfully lead you to the areas where you are most likely to find these incredible cetaceans. Our ultimate goal is to make your experience unique and thoroughly enjoyable
Participant Information and Booking
We accept only a limited number of customers per trip (Min 2 – Max 6), ensuring a quality experience without long queues to get on your boat. A minimum of two customers is required to confirm the trip. If you are a solo traveler and the first to book, we will put your reservation on hold. We will confirm it via email as soon as the next customer makes the same reservation. In the remote case the minimum number of requested participants is not reached, we will promptly contact you and offer alternative options.
Please note that a complimentary breakfast is not generally included with this tour. However, we offer a special arrangement for guests who book both the Whale & Dolphin Watching Tour and the Pigeon Island tour together on the same day. For these guests, we provide a complimentary breakfast consisting of Typical Sri Lankan snacks (vegetable roties, fresh fruit) and black tea at the end of the whale watching trip. We recommend booking the Pigeon Island tour scheduled at 10:00 AM. This timing allows you ample time to enjoy your breakfast snacks and relax before starting your next adventure.
Tour Details:
- Opening period: February 1st – September 30th
- Daily Departure Scheduling: 6:00 AM
- Number of participants: Min 2 – Max 6
- Departure Point: National Park Ticket Counter – at the beach of Anilana resort
- Estimated duration: Min 2h – Max 3h depending on where mammals will be encountered
Included:
- All boat fees and taxes