Finally, We Watched the Whale?

Whale Watching is about the youngest Natural History Hobby that came into being around the early 50s in the USA. Bird Watching though is the earliest habit or pastime being the way of enjoying Natural History occurrences. 

Today these hobbies are linked with tourism and therefore countries are dependent on a new industry to support their economies.  

Sri Lanka today is also into Whale Watching in a big way since the mid-90s when migratory Blue whale pods were seen on the Southwest coast off Mirissa.  However, there had been seasonal whale sightings off Trincomalee in the North East and off Kalpitiya in the North West in the island. But it was the regular Blue Whale sightings from November to March off Mirissa in the South East that commercialized  Whale watching in an organized manner.

It’s an expensive pastime with more of disappointment than actual guaranteed sightings unlike in the other Natural History occurrences where luring of the animal is not conceivable.

Also, the strict need to adhere to good practices and a list of don’ts have now been developed for the safety of the large numbers going out to the sea and for the welfare of the whales. The boat operators have separate don’ts while the watchers have a separate list.

Environmental campaigners, concerned by what is considered the "quick-buck" mentality of some boat owners, strongly urge all whale watcher operators to contribute to local regulations governing whale watching. No international standards are set off as the species are numerous with high populations since the international bans on whaling.   The common rules include:

• Minimize speed/"No wake" speed
• Avoid sudden turns
• Minimize noise
• Do not pursue, encircle or come in between whales
• Approach animals from angles where they will not be taken by surprise
• Consider cumulative impact – minimize the number of boats at any one time/per day
• Do not coerce dolphins into bow-riding. (riding with legs dangling over the side)
• Do not allow swimming with the dolphins

Some Common rules for Whale watchers.

• Do show up on time and be ready to have fun.
• Do communicate your needs to the crew. If your view is being blocked by standing guests or unhappy with your seat, tell the crew so they can help.
• Do take photos. Just be aware that others want to too and share the view.
• Do return to your original seat. It’s okay to get up and move around to watch the whales, but please return to where you were first seated.
• Do not drop food or litter, particularly plastic bags. Those are deadly to many forms of marine life.
• Do wear smaller-brimmed hats. Sometimes the big brims may block the visibility of others.
• Don’t forget to look for whales. The crew only has 2 sets of eyes, keep a lookout for whales, you may discover something cool.

I have been trying my luck in setting my eyes on a whale in Mirissa since March 2015 with no luck but disappointment; but dolphins in plentiful. However year (2023) was to be different when my friend Anil Gammampila called me on November 26th to say he had booked a boat from Mirissa for the 27th Monday for Whale watching for his sisters and cousins and we were welcome if free and interested.

My hopes of seeing that whale this time were suspicious to be sure I felt, as the invitation came out of the blue and the offer was accepted without any hesitation. The next morning, we were at the Mirissa pier by 6:00 a.m. and everybody were on board for the boat to leave around 7:00 a.m. The boat was southbound off the coast of Dondra with several other boats also with the same prospects of seeing the cetaceans. After about an hour of riding the calm waves against a rising sun, we encountered the dolphins they bobbed on all sides and passed under the boat as well but this was not that much excitement today as we had encountered them on many a trip looking for the illusive Blue one in the last eight years.

Nobody in the team was seasick as the sea was very favourable and calm and the crew was content that they had shown us the dolphins for the least to keep up the joyful momentum a packed breakfast with a bottle of water was served and the boat proceeded deep south now nearing the international shipping lane off the south of Sri Lanka.

The crew in all the boats were all traversing at the same speed towards a location best known to them as all previous sightings are now recorded in GIS mapping that all boats are facilitated with. The show line is a speck now and we have reached almost beyond Tangalle in the shore we see another boat in the close far off. Nearing this boat the crew is informed that a Blue Whale had surfaced and they were waiting for the oncoming breather blow that was around 15 to 20 minutes when they were not deep diving.

My suspicion of a sure sighting was going to come true after eight years was bubbling in the back of my mind but a potential day of doom was also lingering; what if it had decided to go deeper and away? Just then the crew spots the blow at a distance and much of the don’ts listed above was taking place naturally. The crew were in to sudden wake speed, the watchers all on their feet rushing to one side of the boat straddling dangerously to balance on a speeding rocking boat. No wonder there are always more don’ts than do’s too general self-centered human behaviour.

The whale though was cool and showed off its antics for almost 2-3 minutes cruising the surface and tail fluking before it took a deep dive. A tail fluke happens when the whale bends its hind quarter to reach the deep and as a result, the dorsal fin and the tail protrude above the water and the large spade-like tail spills the water it held over the rim in spouts and droplets. This is the most spectacular showpiece or display of whale watching and the   Whoa…. and the clapping of all in the boats around was to say thank you Mr Whale you are so adorable.

My friend Anil was busy with his state-of-the-art equipment clicking away watching every action through an eyepiece; and exclaimed ‘Oh Dear’…. he was positioned perfectly for the tail fluke but came to a heartbreak when his memory card in the camera was full and the click would not go all through. That was the end of the show thought everyone with the deep dive displayed. Many boats left after having given the client the best potential display of the blue whale. But our boat did hang on with a few others who had rented the boat for the day. We were glad and honoured the association of this whale blowing off many a time coming out on either side of the boat but not any more of the tail fluking.

We were now drifting beyond Tangalle and closing in to Hambantota said the skipper and everyone thought it was enough and we headed back all happy and content with a fruitful day of watching whales off Mirissa.

Back home the elation did not end I was on the WEB browsing whale watching around the world and it is news that Mirissa is one of the latest locations for Blue Whale sighting in the world. Their occurrence close to the show is economical advantage when compared to most other locations that need excessive travel with overnight stays. Mirissa therefore is ideal with the locality being a tourist habitat already and the logistics in place.

However, further browsing on the species it is noted that the Blue Wale that was thought to be that frequented Mirissa is now thought to be a Sub-species of the Blue Whale … the Pygmy Blue Whale.

The Auckland Whale and Dolphin Safaris Website highlights facts on the Pygmy Blue whale based on research conducted by the Oregon State University USA.      

1. How many different types of blue whales are there? Currently, there are thought to be up to five:

• the North Atlantic/Pacific blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus musculus) 
• the Northern Indian blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus indica)
• the Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) 
• the pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda)
• the Chilean blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus unnamed)

 2. When was the pygmy blue whale discovered? In 1966, records and observations of differences with other blue whales led to the confirmation of the pygmy blue whale as a separate subspecies. 

3. Where does the pygmy blue whale live? Pygmy blue whales are seen in the Southern Hemisphere, mainly in the Indian Ocean such as off the coast of Sri Lanka. Research has expanded the knowledge of that range in recent years to other areas including Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and of course, right here in New Zealand!

4. Pygmy blue whale vs true blue whale  – what’s the difference?

       Physical comparison

• The Antarctic or ‘true’ blue whale can grow up to 33m in length and weigh up to 200 tons (which is about 30-40 African elephants). True to their name, pygmy blue whales are slightly smaller, growing to around 24m and weighing up to 90 tons (so about half that of the Antarctic blue whale).

       Observation

• In the field, it is slightly harder to tell the two apart as a juvenile true blue whale could be mistaken for a fully grown pygmy blue whale. So, we rely on the knowledge and research of the two species here in New Zealand to determine which one we are looking at – more on this later on.

5.  What is the life cycle of the pygmy blue whale?

Sexual maturity is thought to be between 5-15 years and whilst the lifespan is unknown, it is estimated that it would be likely similar to Antarctic blue whales which is 70-90 years.

6. What is the pygmy blue whale’s diet?

They feed almost exclusively on krill but can also eat plankton which is what they have been feeding on here in the Hauraki Gulf. Researchers have confirmed a valuable feeding ground for the pygmy blue whales in the South Taranaki Bight.

7. What are the threats to the pygmy blue whales?

Just like Bryde’s whales, these guys are not exempt from human impacts including being struck by ships.

8. How many pygmy blue whales are in New Zealand and do they migrate?

The latest research suggests there are approximately 718 individuals living around New Zealand. We are proud to have played a small part in this research by contributing our data and photos to the researchers. They are also showing signs of presence in our waters year-round.

Researchers at Oregon State University have determined this by three methods:

Hydrophones – pygmy blue whale calls were recorded on the underwater hydrophones throughout the year. If the population is migratory then researchers would expect to only hear them at certain times of the year.

Photo-ID – dorsal fin photos used to identify individuals showed that certain individuals were being seen throughout the year in different areas of the country. To further support the idea of a non-migratory population, the researchers compared their dorsal fin photos of individuals to dorsal fin photos of whales in Australia and Antarctica but did not find any matches.

DNA sampling/genetic testing – skin samples compared to those in Australia and Antarctica showed there wasn’t much genetic similarity to New Zealand whales suggesting that the whales found here may not mix with other populations.

9. When do we see blue whales in the Hauraki Gulf?

Pygmy blue whales are visitors to the Hauraki Gulf. Before 2017, we had only had a handful of sightings of these whales. Since 2018, we have sighted them every winter. Sightings can occur anywhere between May and November.

So this then could be concluded by speculating … if the Mirissa Whales are Pygmy Blues Whales occurring from November to March it could be these that migrate to Auckland seas to be seen from May to November giving the month of April for transit.

Finally, that episode of Whale Watching has now concluded thanks to Anil my dear Friend!

Golden Memories & (Happy) Silver Tears

It was Jim Reeves who sang about a Brilliant Moon and Silver stars; of an old relationship that finished in agonizing recollections amid silver tears.

However, that was not the case on the eve of December 16, 2023, when a special group of guests flocked to Summerfields in Pannipitiya to reminisce about their school days. There wasn’t a brilliant moon nor the silver stars in a cloudy stormy sky. The banquet had many sparkling stars accumulated for the most extravagant Fellowship of the year, organized by the Gurutalawa Thomian fraternity

A thought that blossomed in the minds of Nimal Fernando in California was supported by the Dulip & Rajpal de Silva brothers from  Australia and ably assisted by Nage (Nagalingam) and Somasundaram near us. It was for the immediate Post-Hayman Era brotherhood that graced college from 1964 to 1974.

Gurutalawa the Siberia?

Even though wars cause pain and suffering, some of the decisions that are made as a result of war have turned out to be good and had the potential to be good.. S Thomas’ College in Gurutalawa was one such decision taken during WWII to locate a branch of S Thomas’ College, Mt Lavinia in the Uva hills.

Gurutalawa in 1942 resembled the Siberia… it was in a very remote location not known to many in the city … access was by train until recent that took almost 12 hours to get to.  Parents kissed and bid goodbye to the children on the platforms of the Fort railway station where they were entrusted to the care of a teacher. Three months later they would reunite with their parents on the same platform at the Fort Railway Station. This practice would continue for five years until some would enter the school in Mt Lavinia, venture into other institutions or be absorbed into professions that were specially reserved and waiting for Guru pass-outs.

The period from, 1942 – 1963 was named the Hayman Era dedicated to the philanthropic founder Headmaster Dr Rollo Hayman and the immediate period from 1963 – 1974 was termed the Post-Hayman Era … continued with the staff recruited by Dr Hayman, abiding by the Hayman traditions adopted and honoured until the school had to change with the need for a junior school.

The call for a fellowship and an excursion to the schools in Gurutalawa and Bandarawela was a requirement before many of us would not be able to travel the globe. Most members of the Hayman Era are no longer with us, and many of us Post-Hayman Era members are now over 60.

The Count Down Begins

In April 23' the siblings Dulip and Rajpal were here and together we went to Gurutalawa on the 2nd of May for a preliminary investigation on the revamping of the Dr  Hayman memorial laboratory for Neil Horadagoda and on the uplifting of the facilities in the school kitchen for Dulip de Silva. On the way up we checked on possible lunch and breakfast stops for the planned event in December around Belihul-oya. The  Silver Ray at Lellopitiya was also a possible stop over.  Our night stay was at the Olympus Plaza Hotel Haputale owned by our own schoolmate Sumith. In the morning while at breakfast we met Sumith who had travelled the night before and the preliminaries of the trip to Gurutalawa and Bandarawela were discussed and lodging at Olympus was a possibility. 

By the end of May, the date for the fellowship was announced and all expatriate members were informed to make early reservations. A month later the location of Summerfields in Pannipitiya of MPDP fame was finalized and the ticket fee was announced with a pay-up period till end October was announced with banking details etc. The WhatsApp group STCG administered by my contemporary Nage was dedicated to announcements and the euphoria for the event was so high that strict guidelines on comments and posts had to be introduced.

Come August the Citrus Kalutara was booked for those who were to leave for Guru and Badarawela with concessions and special provisions arranged by another Guru boy ARH Fernando. The enthusiasm was so high by mid-September the list was over the 250 mark and by the end of October the numbers crossed the 300 limit. In November the late-commers were looking for tickets and Nage had a time reconciling those who were not going to attend and making way of their slots to others; finally came the 16^th of December and the Summerfields banquet was a hive of activity.

 MPDP of Summerfields

By now everybody knows of Summerfield and our senior colleague M P D Perera. We had had a few fellowships at this venue before and I was once with Bandula Vithanage discussing with MPD about hosting a lunch for Fr Goodchild’s 94^th birthday. However, this never materialized cos Farther opposed to the idea thinking we the old boys would only be partying on his account… finally, we organized a home service for him with the local parish. But at this discussion, MPD spelt out an interesting anecdote that he had to undergo at college. Those of us who were in college knew MPD well for his initials were symbolic on almost every tree, desk bench you name it. I still wonder how this habit of carving initials came about in those days. It was Mr Frank Jayasinghe's era and discipline was at its highest and punishments were harsh and painful. MPD says he was a terror and it so happens that Frank J thinks enough is enough with MPD’s pranks and decides to pack him off to his parents by train. Frank took him in his car personally to Haputale and stayed till the train pulled off. MPD knew of his fate if he went home so he quietly slid out of the moving train onto the siding track on the opposite side and went to a safe home as planned. Later the parents came over and the matter was settled with Frank and MPD continued in school possibly with conditions laid down known only to him. 

Today MPD is in the hospitality industry and many other businesses and still loves Gurutalawa and is available at its calls of need.  That is the calibre of personalities that Gurutalawa produced.

The programme commenced with gates opening at 6:00 P.M. with the registration of members, wrist tagged as when you are a full board guest and very wisely thought-out name tag pasted to your chest pocket for identification. We sure have changed very much of what we looked like 50 years ago. It sure was a WOW when someone read your name and held your hand and hugged.

Individual photographs were taken then came the time for the group photo. A single group photo was never possible with the total number so several groups were taken.

Everyone was called by tables for the photo. Our Old-Salt Capt. Dr Suresh Markandan was active as when he blasted orders from the top deck in his seafaring days. The staff members were given firm orders not to leave their seats until all the photos were taken and they had to obey him. From then on it was all reminiscing old-school times. Credit goes to Nage for coordinating the largest gathering of our Tamil brothers ever since the unfortunate recent past in this country.

Many had changed and grown during the 50 years. The lofty hefty Gihan Perera (elder brother of Channa Perera of White-water Rafting fame) was called “Gulliver” among us Lilliputians then at college; Gulliver had stopped growing since he left college, but we Lilliputians had caught up with him and were seen talking with him at eye level.

Naidu sees his name in the
 role of honour for All-round
Scholar 1970 for the first
time after 50 years 

There were but a few specials that we encountered only after 50 years. Charles Santosam of Luckyland Estate Udapussellawa was exceptional while Peter Jacotine who was in college with his elder brother Michael who with Mano Gnanaraj was our cops in the Hayman Dorm in 1967. We are sorry to miss Michael who left us very early in a tragic way…not forgetting the most brilliant and studious student ever to be produced by Gurutalawa Ram Naidu from Badulla now domiciled in Houston. 

There were also Kamal and Budhilal Nilaweera brothers, Towfeek and Rassak siblings, Broodie and Sri Kanakasabai duo and many others who were our seniors in 1967.

The staff of the era was represented by Mr Charles Seneviratne, Mr K Bandusena and the most loved personality Mr David Jeyasingh a long-standing English teacher. Past Head Masters Warden Billimoria, of STC Mt Lavinia, Fr Nihal Fernando now Headmaster of STPS Kollupitiya and the present Headmaster Gurutalawa Mr Laksiri Perera graced the occasion.

Song Dance & Wine

The spirits for the event were initially decided that one would carry his own as BYOB… but the enthusiasm of those that graced the occasion coming from overseas was generous enough to supplement the requirements through duty-free facilitation. There were ample and sufficient stocks to maintain a continuous flow. The finger food went round and had a great demand.

The chatter and the singsong went on with popular numbers of a bygone era being revived by those able singers who proved they could still keep the audience tapping their toes. There was no gender barrier on the dance floor that went on in at a nonstop beat.

They had to be reminded that there was dinner for all and the ladies were ushered to a sumptuous buffet followed by the gents and the event came to an end around midnight. But some find it difficult to compromise and I was told that the doors were closed only around 3:00 A.M.

Visit to Guru and Banda

Sunday was a resting day for those listed for the trip up to college at Citrus Kalutara. On Monday a bus took them to Gurutalawa for a boarding school lunch and walk through the campus. Unfortunately, it was the rainy season in the hills and I’m sure many would have remembered our cross-country running in the rain then. Some had commented of the carefree children going about in the rain just as we would have done 50 years ago. 

The overnight stay was at the Olympus Plaza Haputale and the following Tuesday they visited Prep School Bandarawela the comments were of mixed feelings about the improvements and the well-maintained infrastructure at Bandarawela to the sorry state of affairs at Gurutalawa.

Much ado has been discussed on the social media platforms of STCG since the visit to college, on how to bring back the glory that was to be at Gurutalawa.  One must understand that the school that we attended at Gurutalawa is no more and the current school is being run on a different standard and status. Today it is in line with any ordinary school that starts at  7:30 in the morning and closes at 1:30 in the afternoon. There aren’t any staff that live among the students unlike during our time just as us boarders. The limited staff living on the campus occupy the married quarters and seem to be independent after school hours.

There is much to be done including a big change in the social structure in the school linking sports and extra-curricular activities.

However,  in conclusion, it could be said that the event that was actually for a fellowship to gather the last of the Post-Hayman Era members before we turned out to be invalids restricted from long-distance travel has now turned out to be tasked with finding ways to bring back a school to acceptable standards both in academia and sports.

The school is gravely in need of you for its continuation.

Esto Perpetua

Some Photo Records Of The Event