Scientific Literature: Searchable Database

The waters off Sri Lanka, an island in the northern Indian Ocean, are an important habitat for blue whales, a species listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The subspecies status, genetic affinities and movement patterns of this northern Indian Ocean population of blue whales is not yet clearly understood but off Sri Lanka they can be found throughout the year. Sri Lanka also lies on a busy international shipping lane. Since 2009 a boat-based commercial whale-watching industry targeting the blue whale, has been developing off the south coast, with annual growth in numbers of boats and visitors. This industry however remains unregulated in any formal or informal manner due to the absence of regulatory mechanisms in this small, developing, island nation. Consequently unethical practices are leading to harassment resulting in direct and indirect impacts on the targeted whales. Sighting and stranding data from before and after the inception of whale watching activities indicate a spatial shift in the area of occurrence and concentration of whales and a corresponding increase in fatal vessel collisions along the southwest coastline of the island. There are clear indications of displacement from preferred near-shore feeding areas to the vicinity of the adjacent shipping lane, causing an increase in collision risk. Although these findings are based on limited data, it is recommended that a precautionary principal is followed and anthropogenic activities are quickly regulated to mitigate adverse impacts on these endangered blue whales.