Abstract
Dolphin and whale watching has become a blooming activity in the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Proper scientific data is lacking for the understanding and management of dolphin and whale watching activities particularly in the Southern coast. Based from Mirissa, a shipboard survey was conducted for 43 days from January to May 2012 covering 940 km2 .The diversity and distribution of cetaceans inhabits in the continental shelf and slope were recorded from shipboard sighting data. Their species composition, pod size, behavioral pattern were observed and the distribution pattern was mapped. Total of 8 species of cetaceans were recorded during the study period. They were spinner dolphin ( Stenella longirostris ), bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncates ), melon headed whale ( Peponocephala electra ), fin whale ( Balaenoptera physalus ), killer whale ( Orcinus orca ), short finned pilot whale ( Globicephala melas ), sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus ) and blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus ). Distribution pattern and pod size varied with the species. Out of 6675total sightings, 5382 were spinner dolphins and 843 were bottlenose dolphins. Depth levels showed a significant relationship with different cetacean species (p Sri Lanka J. Aquat. Sci. 20 (1) (2015): 23-33
Highlights
Due to their patchy distribution and low abundance, cetacean encounters at sea are very low but they remain charismatic species (Costa 1993)
Well-developed tourism infrastructural facilities overlapping of non monsoonal period with the tourism season, attract tourists to southern coastal areas of Sri Lanka
This study was focused on the recording of the diversity and mapping the distribution of cetacean populations to provide baseline data to conserve cetacean populations and to develop a sustainable whale watching industry in the area
Summary
Due to their patchy distribution and low abundance, cetacean encounters at sea are very low but they remain charismatic species (Costa 1993). The whale sightings in Sri Lankan waters have attracted attention from both scientists and tourists. Point of Dondra, Kalpitiya and Tricomalee are popular sites for whale watching as these places have high sightings of whales and dolphins. Well-developed tourism infrastructural facilities overlapping of non monsoonal period with the tourism season, attract tourists to southern coastal areas of Sri Lanka. Many whale watching trips are daily organized during this period. Most of these trips are nonscientific expeditions without proper regulations. This study was focused on the recording of the diversity and mapping the distribution of cetacean populations to provide baseline data to conserve cetacean populations and to develop a sustainable whale watching industry in the area
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