Important note: You are required to have a valid passport and round-trip air ticket on arrival in the country..
From late October to early December each year, Blue whales are spending their time in the warm, clear coastal waters of northern area of Timor Leste (was East Timor), feasting on huge clouds of nutrient rich krill in the huge ocean canyons and the deep channels north of the island. We will be there with these wondrous beings. We may also find ourselves sometimes swimming with sperm whales, different species and dolphins ! We can include one of the 6 days, swimming with dugongs (Manatee)!
We will be heading out into the channel each morning on each of our 7 whale-watching days with a passionate and dedicated crew. They are experts in taking people to swim with with these magnificent leviathans and are the very same team that have hosted the filming of the blue whales for the tv series and media stories.
See Visa and Covid 19 requirements for Timor Leste below, under the Tour dates and price. . . .
7-nights & 6 x 6 hour trips out with the whales with lunch. (one of these days can be swimming with
10 people maximum on each tour.
Arrival Day in Dili:
Arrive – transfer to resort, check-in
6.30pm: Meet fellow-whaleswimmers | Welcome and briefing for the week and dinner.
Day 1: Early Breakfast | 7.30am transfer to whaleswim boat on the beach | boat briefing |out with the whales | how to swim with whales training | lunch | lots of fun | transfer to resort | dinner.
Day 2 – 6: Breakfast | 7.30am transfer to whaleswim boat 0n the beach | out with the whales| lunch onboard | transfer to resort | 1 dinner and 3 free nights (plus Farewell dinner on last night).
Day 7: Breakfast | End of tour | transfers to the airport
Please Note: It is very rare to have rough seas during November & December, however with the changes in weather patterns around the world, we can not guarantee calm seas every day.
If we do have a day with rough weather, then we will replace the day on the ocean with a 1/2 day snorkelling with dugongs (Manatee)
Click to BOOK this tour
Important note: You are required to have a valid passport and round-trip air ticket on arrival in the country..
Sri Lanka is known for its rich marine treasures. Not only is it the home to the largest population of blue whales in the world, it is a known feeding area for pods of sperm whales during the same season. You may have the opportunity to snorkel with some of the eleven species of whales that reside around the island of Sri Lanka, including blue whales, sperm whales, beaked whales, pilot whales, false killer whales and you may also see up to fifteen different species of dolphins.
This is a snorkelling only expedition. Blue whales and other Sri Lankan cetaceans may be enormous but they are also very shy animals. Noisy scuba equipment would frighten the whales into a deep dive so it is far better if we take a minimalist approach.
This encounter requires nothing more than a swimsuit and rashie, a light 1.5m – 2m top/shortie/wetsuit if you tend to get cold, mask, snorkel, fins and (free diving fins are permitted but ONLY if you are a very experienced free diver). The water is a warm 24C – 26C and the air around 28 – 32C. Please note: Your neoprene will dry very quickly and then heat up. If its its heavier than 2m thick, you will get very hot!
An advanced open water diver, Daya is Sri Lanka’s most experienced free diving naturalist at sea. He has worked with many celebrated photographers from around the world, with over 300 whale watching tours in Sri Lanka.
He has gathered tremendous data spanning five years of watching the Super Pods of sperm whales in the eastern seas of Sri Lanka and he was featured on the most popular BBC documentary series Blue Planet II, which was narrated by Sir David Attenborough.Daya is fluent in English, Sinhalese and Tamil has a wonderfully sharp sense of humour, and is an extremely gentle soul who enjoys his time at sea.‘
The local whale-watching vessels are basic. We have chartered 3 x 4 x seater 8m timber boats with a protective canopy to protect you from the sun.
We enter the water by sitting on the side of the boat and slipping quietly into the water. Re-entry is via a ladder hooked over the side – you need flexibilty to swing your legs over the side into the boat.
There is very limited room on board so a small dry-bag – with hat, sunscreen, lip balm, mask de-fogger, a strong refillable water bottle, snacks and your camera gear is all there is space for. Water (to refill your bottle), lunch and some snacks will be provided. If you have some favorite snacks, please bring them with you.
We will start at 8am and out on the water for around 6 hours for each of our 7 days on the ocean. It can take up to an hour or more to reach the deep underwater canyons were the Blue whales (and Sperm whales if they are around) feed at this time of the year. There are several of these huge canyons, just offshore in the area.
Our boats are equipped with very quiet 4 stroke engines that can get us quickly to the right place as the whales approach and, when the time is right, we will be entering the water as unobtrusively as possible and observing these magnificent mammals swimming past us.
We may also have opportunities to snorkel around a small island in the area. Its rich with reef-life and different species of turtles. Our priority is your safety and respect for these wondrous animals.
Please note – this is an active adventure holiday and designed for those who are reasonably fit, agile and confident swimming and snorkelling in deep water.
It is difficult to imagine just how huge the blue whale (balaenoptera musculus) is until you’re up close on the surface or in the water with them. Their hearts can weight as much as a car; their tongues may exceed the weight of an elephant, and and adult has 2,500 gallons of blood circulating throughout it’s body constantly. They feed almost exclusively on krill and other plankton and an adult blue whale can consume four tons daily during their feeding season. Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on our beautiful blue planet, growing up to 100 feet long and weighing up to 180 tons or more. When born, blue whale calves are around 25 feet long and can weigh 3 tons and they can drink more than 380 litres/100 gallons of their mother’s milk every day!
Aggressive hunting in the 1900s by whalers seeking whale oil drove the blue whales to the brink of extinction and it is thought that some 360,000 were slaughtered between 1900 and the mid-1960s. Their numbers were reduced to just 1,000 or so whales by the mid 1950s. They finally came under protection under the auspices of the 1966 International Whaling Commission, but the global population has only made a minor recovery since then, with an estimated 15,000 blue whales now roaming our oceans worldwide.
Blue whales have few predators but many are injured or die each year from impacts with large ships and marine pollution is also a serious threat. It is critical that we continue to work for further conservation and protection of these gentle giants of our planet.
The sperm whale (physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales and can grow to be as long as 20.4m (67 ft). They also have the largest brain out of any animal known to exist. They are also known to have the largest eyes out of all of the toothed whale species.
Reaching depths of over 9,500 ft. the sperm whale is one of the deepest diving marine mammals in the world and are well-known for their diet of giant squid, which are known to grow to lengths of over 40 ft. long. Because the sperm whale often hunts for its food in pitch black waters echolocation allows them to maintain complete awareness of their surrounds using sound.
Because the sperm whale is a marine mammal it requires oxygen to breathe. These marine mammals inhale/exhale an average of 3 – 7 times per minute depending on how active they’ve been. During deep dives the sperm whale can hold its breath for up to 90 minutes!
The only known natural predator to the sperm whale is a pod of killer whales. Although these attacks are rare they have been observed in the wild. They are known to produce ambergris (whale vomit) which has been used to create perfumes and expensive high-end scents.
Sperm whales are often seen in pods in these waters due to the rich food sources found in the deep ocean canyons in the area. They are often curious about us and may use their sonar, making their ‘clicking’ sound when swimming around us. They are known to be in the area during March & April.
Our whale-watching home base is the simple little town on the North Eastern shores of Sri Lanka – a melting pot of different cultures, with the food, clothing and daily goings on reflecting a multitude of influences, including Muslim, Portuguese, Dutch, British and Sinhalese.
It is a wonderful melange of experiences and rich in history. You will find colourful temples nestled next to churches mixed amongst old colonial Dutch or British buildings and local dwellings.
It has not been ‘found’ by many yet and it’s lovely golden sand beaches, peaceful surroundings, unspoiled natural areas and easy-going friendly local folk make this slightly off-the beaten-track town a fascinating and laid back destination.
Please Click the links below to read the information.
To join your WhaleSwim Adventure, you need to fly internationally to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Airport code is: CMB
From UK, Europe and USA
There are many international airlines servicing Columbo via Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi from Europe and USA or via Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.
Cheap flight sites to try are: www.expedia.com www.webjet.com www.skyscanner.com or www.iwantthatflight.com
From New Zealand check out www.flylanka.co.nz They have a special deals from NZD$1,199 return Contact them on FREE PHONE: 0800 574 584 but check the cheap airfares sites first!
From Australia – check out Sri Lankan Airlines, the fly via Melbourne direct to Colombo.
If you are looking for cheap fares, check out Air Asia flights (Air Asia have a fabulously cheap AUD$600 Sydney to Colombo return for March 2019 BUT with a 15 hours stopover in Kuala Lumpur each way – seat only.) I have recently flown 3 sectors with Air Asia and was very impressed!)
Cheap flight sites to try are: www.expedia.com.au www.webjet.com www.skyscanner.com or www.iwantthatflight.com
Colombo Airport is a bustling international airport and 35 kms from the centre of Colombo.
You may want to get a local SIM card for your phone on arrival – they are available at the airport and very reasonably priced for a 30 day holiday SIM with 2 GB’s of data.
Your transfers to Cinnamon Red hotel is not included in the tour as some guests may arrive a few days early or stay on after the tour to explore other parts of Sri Lanka.
To book your transfer prior to your arrival in Colombo, we highly recommend Rideways https://rideways.com their communication and their service was 10 out of 10! There are lots of banks and ATM’s at the airport to exchange money to Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR).
Aproximate rates are: USD 1 = 183 LKR AUD 1 = 126 LKR GBP 1 = 230 LKR EUR 1 = 208 LKR NZD 1 = 122 LKR
As there is very little extra space on the boats, you need to keep your boat gear to a minimum.
We suggest:
Towels will be supplied.
Although Blue whales are 30m (100 ft) and weigh up to 180 tons, they are gentle animals and are very aware of us in the water and are very shy. The thought of being so close to them may be frightening but after your first encounter you will understand why they are known as the giants of the ocean. It is very important for you to know that all of the in-the-water encounters with Blue whales will be in very deep water and 7 or 8 km from land.. If you feel that your swimming and snorkelling skills could be improved, or that you are a little unfit, we suggest that you enrol in snorkelling lessons and improve your swimming skills and fitness levels prior to joining your tour to insure the best encounters possible.Snorkelling Experience required
Please note: this is an ocean adventure holiday and you will need to be very fit, flexible, confident in the water and be able to snorkel well and fast.
We are often getting in and out of the boat into the ocean, sometimes snorkelling quickly for up to 40m and occasionally with the whales in choppy seas.
Once spotted by the skipper, he will position the boat ahead of the path and then you need to slide off the boat very quickly and very quietly and snorkel to the area indicated by our guide or skipper. If you are slow, you may not even get a glimpse for the whale.
The first night accommodation is at Cinnamon Red Hotel in the bustling city of Colombo. It offers modern and comfortable accommodation with free WiFi access throughout the property. It features a rooftop outdoor pool and rooftop bar and pool. Air-conditioned rooms include a wardrobe, in-room safe, a flat-screen satellite/cable TV and sofa seating area. Electric kettle and minibar are also provided. The en suite bathroom comes with towels, hairdryer and shower facility. The in-house restaurant serves a tasty selection of local dishes for guests to enjoy. After-meal drinks are available at the bar. The location is a great choice for travellers interested in food, friendly locals and relaxation.
For the tour accommodation in Trinco, we stay a classic resort, built in the late 1960s and refurbished in 2010 by expert interior specialist Channa Daswatte, who opted for denim trimmings and a retro 70s design that makes an unusual getaway in the east of Sri Lanka. It is a Green Globe-certified hotel and goes to great lengths to protect the marine life and villages around it. It is a hassle-free, privacy-guaranteed resort, allowing you a relaxing time when you are there.Wake up in the wee hours and take a peek outside your window as the skies throw beams of white and yellow across the horizon, paving the way for the sun as it rises each morning. This is the land of the rising sun with an ocean full of vibrant marine life that makes this resort perfect for your 8 nights of this amazing tour with Blue whales.
Your beach-side rooms all have ensuite bathrooms and an outdoor patio with outdoor furniture and its just a few metres to walk to our boats each morning.
Sperm whale images and the top image of Blue Whale and swimmer, were taken by Daya, our Guide and naturalist.
Our Office Hours are:
Monday – Friday 9am – 5 pm (New Zealand time)
WhatsApp:
Rae Gill +64 21 1101 818 – General Enquiries & Tahiti tours.
Annah Evington: +64 27 874 7090 – Tonga, Norway & Sri Lanka tours.
FreePhone Australia – 1800 629 306
FreePhone USA – 877 216 5847
FreePhone UK – 0800 0288 968
Calls divert to our Office in New Zealand – please check the time zone before you call. Thank you!
eMail: tours@whaleswim.com
© WhaleSwim™ Adventures Ltd
Please note: WhaleSwim™ Adventures Ltd has a Trademark on the words: ‘whaleswim’™, ‘whaleswims’™, ‘whale swims’™ ‘whale swim’™
These words cannot be used in domain names, headings or text on any webpage.
©2023