Illegal 'swim-with-whales' tours in Sri Lanka pose growing threat to marine life: Study

A preliminary study by Oceanswell led by Dr. Asha de Vos and funded by the Lanka Environment Fund (LEF), has uncovered the widespread and illegal practice of swim-with-whales tourism in Sri Lanka, raising serious concerns about its impact on the country’s marine life, particularly whale populations.

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These activities are prohibited under Sri Lankan law, specifically, the Sea Mammals Observation, Regulation, and Control Regulation No. 1 of 2012— unless special permission is granted by the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Despite the ban, the study found that at least 32 operators continue to offer swim-with-whales experiences, with a rise in operations over the past three years. Similar bans exist in countries like South Africa, New Zealand, and Canada, highlighting international recognition of risks this form of tourism poses to marine life.

Focusing on Trincomalee and Mirissa, two of Sri Lanka's whale hotspots, researchers used online searches, social media tracking, and video analysis to document the extent of illegal tours.

The study found that nearly half (46.87%) of the identified swim-withwhale operations were owned by foreign nationals, diverting revenue away from legal local businesses such as whale-watching tours. Moreover, 84.3% of these operators made no mention of required permits on their websites, misleading visitors into believing the activity is legal. An analysis of 36 videos, featuring human-whale interaction between four whale species, blue whales, sperm whales, Bryde's whales, and short-finned pilot whales, indicated potential avoidance behaviours.