Whale Watching Trincomalee:
Get up close and personal with the largest animal on the earth
“To see a Blue Whale in its natural habitat is something most of us can only dream of. To see more than one in a lifetime would be very rare experience reserved for a fortunate lot. The good news is that in Sri Lanka you can see so many of them just minutes from the island’s Eastern shore and Minneriya Safari Tours makes more convenient to you get the unforgettable experience with our professional service”
Trincomalee is rapidly emerging as another internationally important whale-watching destination. Blue whales in particular (plus smaller numbers of sperm whales) can regularly be seen around six to eight nautical miles east of Trincomalee (about 30min by boat), Dolphins (mainly Spinner) are also regularly seen. Most sightings occur between March/April and August/September, as whales continue their migrations around the island from the south coast (where they mainly congregate from December to April) – this means that Sri Lanka offers around ten months of continuous whale & dolphin watching annually at different points around the coast.
When? From 15. March to 15. November
What to See > Whales and Dolphin Watching around Nilaveli & Trincomalee
Departure time > Our boats depart from our Nilaveli Adventures, Nilaveli diving center or Dutch bay beach at 6.00 am.
Check in is from 5.30 am at our Nilaveli Diving Centre. You will be back at our start place around 8.00 am.
Trip Duration> In average 2 to 3 hours
Sightings> There is a high chance to see whales or dolphins during our tours (probably 20 % of Whales and 90 % of Dolphins) and we will give our best to find them for you on every single day. However, on some days, even with our best efforts, it is impossible for us to show you dolphins or whales.
When your tour is complete, your will be return you to your hotel or original departure point.
Include:
- Seat in Boat Tour (Max 10 in one Boat) *<Can arrange Private boat Tour for Extra fee>
- Life Jackets
- Hotel pickup and drop-off by Tuk Tuk (Trincomalee City Area hotels only)
Exclude:
- Food and drink
- Hotel pickup and drop-off additional fee, if outside of Trincomalee City area
– For hotels in Nilaveli, uppuveli can pickup and drop off with a additional fee. Please contact us with your hotel name and address.
Price:
Starts from 40 USD per person for SIC tour & 110 USD per person for a Private tour (all person above 12 years of age) Max. 6 to 10 people per SIC boat.
Minimum age of kids is 4 years old.
Kids below 5 years of age are free of charge.
Kids from 6 until 11 are half price.
Departure Time Comments:
- Times are subject to change due to local traffic conditions.
- Hotel pickups commence may prior to this time as per your hotel location. You must contact us verify your exact pickup time.
- Hotel pickups commence approximately 30 – 45 minutes prior to this time
Departure Location:
> Free Pickup & drop off – Hotels within the Trincomalee City area by Tuk Tuk.
> For hotels in Nilaveli & Uppuveli can pickup and drop off with a additional fee. Please contact us with your hotel name and address.
Additional fee for hotels outside of Free pickup area: (Per total booking)
Nilaveli Hotels – USD 10
Uppuveli Hotels – USD 10
Direction to Meeting / Departure Location:
We have 3 Departure locations. As per the your hotel location, we will inform you by email, whatsapp or sms the which departure place suitable for you.
1) Nilaveli Diving Center (14, Beach road, Allesgarden, Trincomalee) | GPS
2) Nilaveli Adventures (No 190/5, Nilaveli Road, Ales Garden, Trincomalee) | GPS
3) Dutch bay beach | GPS
Return Location:
Returns to original departure point
Please Note:
The Indian Ocean is not a calm ocean. There is always at least a light swell. If you tend to get sea sick or if it the first time for you on a boat in the Indian Ocean, we advise you to take seasick pills on the morning of the trip (about 1 – 2 hours BEFORE you enter the boat). You can find them in every pharmacy in Sri Lanka. We recommend the brand “Avomine” or “Celenid”. Please consult your doctor or pharmacist in advance before using these drugs.
Additional Tour Information:
- For Next day bookings, Please you must contact us by Call or SMS / WhatsApp / Viber with mention exact pickup Location to +94776487757
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for pregnant women
- Not recommended for participants with heart complaints or other serious medical condition
- Please include your Mobile / Local contact number & Hotel pickup details at the booking
