Cover

Mahadana Muththa and Mahadana miththaniya

Yalanie Dharmasena of Bishop's College, Colombo and Sandalie Rajapakse of Salcomb Prep School, UK act as Mahadana Muththa and Mahadana miththaniya at the book launch of veteran writer Samanmalie Padmakumara. The books were Hapana Hawa and Muththa Maden Godata Gaththa.

Picture by Wasantha Warnaka

Back cover

Whale and dolphin antics

by Ranil Wijayapala

Our staff photographer Thilak Perera captured this endearing photograph of frolicking whales in the seas off Mirissa which is a tourist destination in the southern tip of Sri Lanka now bustling with a growing number of whale and dolphin watching enthusiasts. It is recorded that the highest number of whale watching excursionists during the season was on January 2 with 926 tourists who went on 24 boats from the Mirissa Fisheries harbour .

The number of dolphins and whales are on the rise in sri Lankan waters with the onset of winter in many countries. The dolphins are a sight to behold when they begin to jump out of the waters and show their antics. Sri Lanka is famous for blue whales and sperm whales.

Now since the Mirissa waters are teeming with dolphins and whales , according to the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, which monitors activities relating to whale and dolphin watching in Mirissa, a recorded number of 18,051 tourists have come to Mirissa for whale watching excursions from September to December last year.

In November 4554 tourists arrived in Mirissa for whale watching. But boats go close to the dolphins and whales they dive deep into the sea and disappear.

Sri Lanka is turning out to be a major spot to watch whales and dolphins.

Sri Lanka is situated within the International Whaling Commission's protected zone in the Indian Ocean. The West coast from Alankuda beach in Kalpitiya, Mirissa or Dondra Point down south and the east coast of Trincomalee are the main ports of whale and dolphin watching in Sri Lanka. Whale and dolphin sightings are additionally available in the western coastal cities of Alutgama, Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa.

A high concentration of blue whales and sperm whales has been spotted in the seas off Dondra Head along the deep south coast from January to April. Alankuda beach in Kalpitiya is the best place for dolphins. From November to March is the ideal season to go dolphin watching off Kalpitiya. Whale and dolphin watching is also possible from June to September off the eastern shores such as Trincomalee .