Sri Lanka not only boasts ancient temples and enchanting sea views but also features highland jungles reminiscent of a fairyland. The dozens of national parks and over 100 nature reserves scattered across the island allow you to get up close and personal with a variety of plants and animals. Our journey started from central Sri Lanka and reached the southeastern coast, transitioning from the cool mountain weather to a tropical climate.
Yala National Park is located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka, in Tissamaharama, spanning both the Southern Province and Uva Province. Covering an area of 979 square kilometers, the park is famous for its numerous rare wildlife. Yala National Park is the second-largest national park in Sri Lanka and one of its largest nature reserves. According to statistics, it is the most visited national park in the country.
Yala National Park is situated in an arid and semi-arid climate zone, where it frequently rains during the northeast monsoon season. Due to the wet monsoon forests, freshwater, and marine wetland ecosystems in Yala, access is difficult for more than half of the year. We happened to encounter rain again; the roads leading to the hotel in the forest were riddled with potholes washed out by the rain. Along the way, we came across a local vehicle stuck in a rut, and the hotel owner helped pull their car out.
Yala National Park was established on March 1, 1938. The park consists of five sections, but only two are open to the public. The first section is called Ruhuna National Park, and the second is Kumana National Park, also known as Yala East, which is why it’s also referred to as Yala National Park. In 1900, Yala National Park was designated as a wildlife sanctuary. The park is most famous for its diverse wildlife. It is home to Sri Lankan elephants and waterbirds, and the leopards in the park are among the most frequently sighted rare wild animals in the world.
Visiting Yala National Park requires entering by local off-road vehicles, so there are many tour companies that handle all of this. In the morning, our driver and the pre-booked off-road vehicle arrived at the hotel, and together we headed to the national park.
On the road to Yala National Park, you can see many off-road vehicles. Some set out early to look for leopards, others are leisurely tourists like us, and there are photography enthusiasts with all kinds of cameras capturing wildlife. You can actually encounter many elephants right along the highway.
Many of the roads in Yala National Park are dirt paths. To protect the environment, no concrete roads have been built. In some sections, due to yesterday’s rain, large mud pits have formed. When the off-road vehicles drive through, it’s like a boat passing over water, giving us a true off-road experience.
Deer herds can be seen everywhere, likely a type of sika deer with distinctive white-spotted fur. Large sika deer are surrounded by groups of fawns playing carefree around them.
The painted stork mainly inhabits shallow waters along the shores of freshwater bodies like lakes, rivers, and ponds, as well as nearby marshes and grasslands. During the non-breeding season, they are often found in farmlands and cultivated fields, and occasionally appear along coastal beaches and saline-alkaline lands.
Grey herons inhabit shallow water areas such as rivers, streams, lakes, marshes, reservoirs, fish ponds, and coasts. They are active in pairs or small groups. Their diet mainly consists of fish and other aquatic animals, but they also feed on insects, reptiles, amphibians, and even small mammals. In 2019, they were listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
Yala National Park is one of Sri Lanka’s 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs). This region is home to 215 bird species, including six species endemic to Sri Lanka. It can truly be called a paradise for birdwatchers.
The main part of the park reserve is a vast lake into which the Kumbukkan River flows. Surrounding it are dense shrubs and scattered swamp vegetation. Many dead trees stand in the lake, giving the entire park a more ancient and weathered appearance. Within the reserve, there are tropical hills, and the forest contains many primitive small caves that have long served as natural nests for wild animals.
In this natural ecological reserve, humans and animals coexist peacefully. This harmony is thanks to the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act in 1893 and the subsequent years of protection for the nature reserve. Additionally, the local people highly cherish the natural resources here. There have been almost no incidents of poaching or similar cases, which is truly incredible compared to some parks in our own country.
Whale Watching Paradise｜Mirissa
Sri Lanka is a key point for east-west shipping in the Indian Ocean, known as the “Gateway to Asia” and the “Crossroads of the East.” It boasts one of the world’s longest artificial harbors. The island nation of Sri Lanka has a coastline of 1,340 kilometers. Far from Colombo, Mirissa Beach is one of the country’s most beautiful secrets.
Marco Polo praised Sri Lanka as “the most beautiful island in the world,” and Mark Twain described Sri Lanka in “Following the Equator” as: “Here, except for snow, one has everything.”
Mirissa is one of Sri Lanka’s three major beaches, facing the Indian Ocean. This crescent-shaped beach still retains its original natural charm: sunny skies, rows of coconut trees, blue seas, and clear skies. The main attractions here are its unspoiled nature, tranquility, and whale watching.
Every beach in the southern region has big waves, but Mirissa has a place where you can swim freely without wind or waves, located at the far left end of the bay. In the sea, you’ll see a climbable rock; the sea is divided into two sides here. In the middle, after the tide recedes in the morning, you can walk over to the rock. On one side of the sea, there are big waves, while on the other side, there’s not a single wave, and the water is very clear.
Sri Lanka is an island with a very narrow continental shelf; sailing just over 20 kilometers from the coastline brings you into deep waters. This means you can see the world’s largest whales in places closest to the shore. The coastal town of Mirissa is one of the world’s best blue whale watching spots and is known as Sri Lanka’s whale-watching paradise.
Mirissa is located in southern Sri Lanka, with a mild climate and beautiful scenery. The beaches are golden and magnificent, and the sea is emerald green. It is the southernmost seaside town in all of South Asia, acclaimed as one of the world’s best places for whale watching. Around six o’clock in the morning, we arrived punctually at the Mirissa harbor for our sea excursion. At this time, the sky was just getting light, the harbor was quiet, and many boats of various sizes were moored.
The continental shelf at the southern end of Sri Lanka extends into very deep waters, where you can see large groups of dense and graceful blue whales approaching the coast. Every year, sperm whales migrate long distances from the Horn of Africa to the warm feeding grounds of the Bay of Bengal. Off the coast of Mirissa in southern Sri Lanka—close to the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent—the nearby waters are rich in marine life. Many species of whales migrate through here and stop to feed, making this area one of the world’s most famous whale-watching locations. The peak whale-watching seasons are in April and from December to January of the following year. During these times, blue whales from the Arabian Sea migrate with ocean currents to the waters east of Sri Lanka. It is said that the success rate of whale watching during this period is as high as 98%.
In the morning, many boats go out to sea—there are large whale-watching ships and smaller ones, as well as numerous speedboats weaving around. At this time, it depends on the whale-watching experience of each boat’s crew. However, based on their many years of experience, they can usually find whales quickly.
But the whale-watching experience isn’t as wonderful as everyone imagines. The boats cruise back and forth in the bay, and today, there happened to be wind and waves at sea. Most people who haven’t spent long periods on boats start to feel seasick. It’s a case of “the trip out was great, but the return is uncomfortable.” At this point, you can see that more than half of the people on the boat are feeling seasick, including my companions. Everyone has lost much of their enthusiasm for whale watching and is thinking about how to calm down and deal with the seasickness.
In this season, the whale-watching success rate is as high as 98%, and the whale-watching boat did take us to see whale sharks. However, whenever someone shouted “over here,” everyone would quickly rush to the other side. A swarm of whale-watching boats and speedboats would roar over as if competing for business, circling around the whale. The whale would usually dive into the sea instantly and disappear without a trace. So I can only give this whale-watching experience a score of two out of five. Perhaps if you visit during calm weather and off-peak times, there will be fewer whale-watching boats. The whales might quietly float and rest in the bay, spouting water, giving you a chance to photograph them.
Whales are rare and require the right timing and luck to see. However, compared to the elusive whales, the dolphins in these waters are very active and appear in groups, which is a spectacular sight. As the boat drifted on the sea for a while, the distant horizon remained vast and boundless, with the sky and sea blending into one.
In the shallow waters, fishermen drive wooden stakes into the sea and set up a frame on top. In the early morning or at dusk, fishermen sit on wooden poles inserted into the seabed to fish. Each pole is owned by a family and passed down from father to son, and families with pole positions are much coveted. It is said that initially, fishermen couldn’t afford boats to go out fishing, and since there were plenty of small sardines along the southern coast, this unique fishing method emerged.
At dusk, fishermen sit atop their stilts, with the sunset over the Indian Ocean reddening the sea and the beach, as well as their faces. Waves crash against the shore, which is lined with tall coconut trees. Along the beaches from Mirissa to Galle, you can see many such scenes.
The stilt fishermen have actually become a tourist attraction in Mirissa and Galle on Sri Lanka’s south coast. Combined with the beautiful seaside beaches here, the scenery is very enchanting. Most tourists who come here will check it out at least once. Therefore, at most stilt fisherman spots, you need to pay to experience and take photos.
Mirissa is like a leisurely small fishing village. If you get tired of staying on the beach, you can hop on a scooter to explore the small streets and alleys of the old town and its colorful buildings. There are many specialty shops in the town’s streets. Strolling around and picking up some local handicrafts is a good activity after meals. In the evening, everyone gathers on Mirissa’s beach. Today happens to be New Year’s Eve, and the hotel set off fireworks at midnight. Everyone on this beautiful island in the Indian Ocean welcomed the new year together.
