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Tourists return to Sri Lanka for whale watching

A snorkeler swims towards sperm whales diving into the sea off the coast of Mirissa, Sri Lanka, March 29.
A snorkeler swims towards sperm whales diving into the sea off the coast of Mirissa, Sri Lanka, March 29.David Loh / Reuters

The southern tip of Sri Lanka, where the waters of the continental shelf are close to shore, is one of the few locations in the world to see dolphins, sperm whales and other creatures of the deep up close. Tourists have been returning to the island since the civil war ended there in 2009 to enjoy its natural beauty and catch a rare glimpse of the elusive whales.

Tourist boats, carrying whale watchers, surround a pod of resting sperm whales in the Indian ocean off the coast of southern Sri Lanka.
Tourist boats, carrying whale watchers, surround a pod of resting sperm whales in the Indian ocean off the coast of southern Sri Lanka.David Loh / Reuters
The fluke of a sperm whale sticks out of the sea as it dives among other resting whales off the coast of Mirissa, Sri Lanka.
The fluke of a sperm whale sticks out of the sea as it dives among other resting whales off the coast of Mirissa, Sri Lanka.David Loh / Reuters