Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka

The on-set of the South-west Monsoon sees a number of rarely seen pelagic birds appearing in Sri Lankan waters. One of the best locations for them are the seas off the Kalpitiya Peninsula. The Sperm Whale Strip between E 079 35 and E 79 38 is also an Asian Pelagic Bird Hot Spot.

I was on a visit to confirm the presence of Sperm Whales for the third successive year since an effort has been made to search specifically for whales off Kalpitiya with whale watching in mind. The presence of deep water and hence why whales could be found had been confirmed by seismic data which had come out of the exploration for oil and gas. The 400m isobath is not only good for Sperm Whales but is also a very good strip along which Shearwaters and Noddies can be found. This Wedge-tailed Shearwater was photographed as it circled our boat. I like the way one wing tip is almost touching the ocean. They are effortless fliers and with hardly a wing flap they can put on speeds in excess of 30 km per hour rendering futile any effort to keep up with them.

The logistics for this Kalpitiya research trip was organised by Ashan Seneviratne of Little Adventures (www.littleadventuressrilanka.com) and the accommodation and boat was provided by Bay Watch Eco Resort Village (www.baywatchkalpitiya.com).