Whale watching can be lucrative business

New vistas in tourism promotion:

Whale watching today is a US$ 3 billion worth tourist attraction in the world part of which can be easily absorbed via tourism industry in Sri Lanka by unveiling these hidden assets of underwater marine life.

Presenting their research findings on 'Whale watching in Sri Lanka' at a seminar last week BBC and WWF UK videographer Andrew Sutton and mammal behaviour specialist and a PhD student of blue whales in Sri Lanka Asha de Vos added that "Sri Lankan waters carry 23 special varieties of whales and among them the most important blue whale and the sperm whale.

Both whales can be easily encountered in Sri Lankan waters of less than two hours drive from the coast.

This brings ease of access for whale watching enthusiasts, a comfort hardly available in other places in the world. Similarly dolphins too can be seen in large herds in our marine waters."

Master Divers Chairman Ariyaseela Wickramanayake said marine archaeology and the adventures into discovering historical values of sunken ship wrecks around the coastal belt of Sri Lanka provide new opportunities for tourism industry.

It is important to make people aware of these attractions and how that can be used as an investiture for the development of tourism industry in our country.

"There are about 10 to 12 ships moving across the waters around Sri Lanka at any given time, if we build some facility to watch them from the shore, that alone can be an exciting experience for anyone," Wickramanayake said.

A coral scientist and a coastal zone management specialist of National Aquatic Resources Association (NARA) Arjan Rajasooriya said that Sri Lankan underwater marine life consists of a rare combination of natural coral formations. The coral reefs in places like Hikkaduwa, Mirissa and eastern coastal belt of the country are surrounded with fascinating underwater plants and herds of colourful tropical fish varieties.

"Free diving and snorkeling in these waters will offer any tourist with an entirely different and extremely delightful experience," he said. He also emphasized the need to educate local and foreign populace alike on preserving these coral reefs for future generations.

This seminar on "Marine life resources will play a major role in attracting tourists to Sri Lanka," was conducted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau.