Last Updated on February 29, 2024 by Natalia
Mirissa is one of the best places in the world to see blue whales, and thankfully there are ethical whale watching tours available in the area. Taking an ethical tour is important for the safety of the whales as it ensures proper practices are followed. Unfortunately though, there are many unethical whale watching tours in Mirissa. These companies overcrowd the whales and chase them relentlessly with no regard for their wellbeing. No matter where you are in the world it’s important to make sure any animal encounters are completely ethical, which is why we avoided the unethical camel rides in Jaisalmer, India. Seeing blue whales in Mirissa is one of our best memories from all our travels along with seeing humpback whales in Akureyri, Iceland. This guide covers everything you need to know about booking an ethical whale watching tour in Mirissa!
Mirissa Whale Watching Tours
Whale watching tours are extremely popular a day tour from Mirissa as you have around a 90-95% chance of seeing blue whales during the peak whale watching season, which runs from November until April/May.
Although blue whales are the main attraction, if you’re lucky you’ll have the chance to see a mix of amazing marine life. Other species sometimes seen on whale watching tours from Mirissa include Bryde’s whales, sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins, orcas, turtles and more.
Whale watching tours in Mirissa usually depart around 6-6.30am, and normally last for up to 5 hours. If there aren’t any sightings then tours do sometimes extend to 6-8 hours in the hope of seeing whales.
Although sightings aren’t guaranteed, your chances of seeing blue whales are very good in our experience. We’ve taken two separate whale watching trips in Mirissa and had around 10 sightings on our first trip in 2017 and around 20 sightings on our trip in 2020.
One of the most important things to know is that the sea can be quite rough, so it’s worth taking some sea sickness medication like dramamine. Both times we’ve been whale watching in Mirissa the sea hasn’t been rough, but we know plenty of other people who said it was quite choppy out at sea – so it’s best to take dramamine as a precaution.
What’s the difference between an ethical and an unethical tour?
Mirissa has a bad reputation for offering unethical whale watching tours, but this doesn’t mean all the tours are as bad as each other. It’s true that the majority of operators overcrowd the whales and don’t follow the proper guidelines, but in spite of this there are a few responsible and ethical whale watching tour companies in Mirissa too.
The main difference between ethical and unethical whale watching tours is whether the welfare of the animals is put first. Ethical tours will always keep a safe distance from the whales, and any other marine life you encounter, whilst ensuring you still get brilliant views of these magnificent creatures.
In contrast, unethical tours prioritise what they consider to be the wants of the customer so try to get as close as possible to the whales. It’s common to see 10-20 boats chasing after one whale trying to get as close as possible to give their customers the best view.
This scenario is obviously intimidating to the whales and can cause distress or even injury if the boats get too close. Considering the tour is based around wanting to see these amazing animals in the wild, it’s important to put their welfare first.
If you’re considering taking a whale watching tour in Mirissa then you obviously like animals, so you should want to protect them by opting for an ethical tour. By booking with an ethical operator it also helps to discourage unethical operators over time, which means the whales will be better protected in both the short and long term.
One last point worth noting when considering the difference between ethical and unethical whale watching tours in Mirissa is that the ethical tours generally last much longer.
Unethical tours tend to only last a few hours and return after they’ve chased a few whales and had a handful of sightings. Ethical companies stay out much longer to ensure you see as many whales as possible, giving you some spectacular views of these amazing animals, whilst also educating you and giving information about the whales as well.
Once the unethical tours have returned you’re also able to get much better pictures and sightings as there are fewer boats around, so it’s fairly common to be the only tour near to a particular whale.
It’s also worth mentioning that swimming with whales in Sri Lanka is illegal without a government permit. If any operator offers the chance to go snorkelling or diving with whales in Mirissa it’s most likely illegal and/or a scam.
How to book an ethical whale watching tour in Mirissa
The best way to arrange an ethical whale watching tour in Mirissa is to book directly with one of the 3 companies listed in bold below. Make sure to check recent Trip Advisor reviews of any company before booking to ensure they’re following international whale watching standards.
When checking Trip Advisor we recommend focusing on the negative reviews, as if tours are unethical you should be able to tell from this. Some people don’t care about unethical tours or are oblivious to it, so positive reviews can be misleading when it comes to wildlife encounters.
We often recommend booking tours with reputable companies like Klook and Get Your Guide, but in this case we don’t. There are only a few ethical whale watching companies in Mirissa, and the only way to ensure you go with one of them is by booking directly.
From our experience the only three ethical whale watching companies in Mirissa to book with are Whale Watching Club, Raja & the Whales and Whale Warriors.
Our personal recommendation for an ethical whale watching company in Mirissa is Whale Watching Club. We’ve done two whale watching tours with them and both exceeded our expectations thanks to their incredible crew. To top it off, if you don’t see any whales then they normally provide a free tour the next day – all you have to pay for is the government tax.
Prices for ethical whale watching boat tours in Mirissa start from around 4,000 rupees per person. There is also an additional charge of 3500 rupees per person for government fees and taxes. Some tours now will include everything in one price for 50 USD per person as of 2024.
Going whale watching in Mirissa this way felt so much better and a more authentic experience thats beneficial for the whales. Doing this ethical whale watching tour in Mirissa was undoubtely one of our favourite experiences in our Sri Lanka itinerary. Seeing boats chase after the whales and surround them was not a nice experience to watch, if you are going to do whale watching in Mirissa please choose an ethical provider.
If you enjoyed this experience we definitely recommend swimming the turtles in nearby Polhena Beach as well as a visit to Udawalawe or Yala National Park.
For those interested in a quieter safari or birds then find out more about Bundala National Park.
Where to stay in Mirissa
Beach Mirissa
Located on the beachfront, the property has its own private beach and pool. Prices start from 24,400 rupees per night.
Click here to book a stay at the fabulous Beach Mirissa Hotel!
Randiya Sea View Hotel
This lovely hotel with a pool and air con rooms can be found starting from as little as 7,500 rupees per night including breakfast.
Click here to see the great prices available at Randiya Sea View Hotel on Booking.com
Alternatively, VRBO have some fantastic accommodation options if you want to rent a property instead of staying at a hotel! Click here to see the amazing options on the VRBO website!
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