The Devundara and Mirissa areas are rapidly becoming famous for whale watching, with seas off these coasts identified as having a high density of Whale and Dolphin populations.
There are currently around 80 known species of whale in the world. Twenty six of these species can be found off the waters of Sri Lanka. These include Blue Whales, Sperm Whales, and Killer Whales. All three species can be observed off the Devundara and Mirissa coastlines, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development.
Shrimp is the staple diet of most whales, and shrimp tend to congregate near coral reefs. The seas off Devundara and Mirissa have a high density of coral reefs and research has shown that large numbers of whales are attracted to these areas due to the large amounts of shrimp found near these coral reefs, the ministry states.
In order to attract more foreign tourists to whale and dolphin watching tours, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, together with its Ocean University, launched a special whale and dolphin watching project on the December 17. The project, which was launched from the Galle fisheries harbour will use the ship and other vessels belonging to the Ocean University. The new project was launched to coincide with the 12th anniversary of the Ocean University. Minister Dallas Alahapperuma was the chief guest at this ceremony.
http://www.nation.lk/2011/12/25/news7.htm
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