Sri Lankan company ''Whale Watching With Danushka'' has become the first in the world to achieve Friend of the Sea certification for sustainable whale watching.
The company’s trimaran boat and crew underwent a successful onboard audit by an international independent certification body in February 2014, which confirmed Danushka’s full compliance with Friend of the Sea requirements.
'Whale Watching With Danushka', registered under Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and licensed under the Department of Wildlife Conservation for whale watching, is an operator based at Mirissa Harbour which provides whale watching and boating activities for tourists.
Danushka’s vessel does not use sonar systems to detect cetaceans or to bring them to the surface and respects a 100m distance watching zone. The crew takes care of maintaining minimum noise when approaching the watching area in order to keep animals undisturbed. No polluting substances nor food are disposed of in the proximity of the cetaceans.
In Sri Lanka, whales can be watched throughout the year, and the period from November to April is the best in the Southern coast.
“Our company's mission is to show visitors the amazing blue whales, the largest animal ever living on the planet, by fully respecting their welfare, marine habitat and coastal environment”, explains Mr Danushka, company owner. “We are proud to be the first Friend of the Sea whale watching company in the world. This reflects our commitment to environmental conservation and it will hopefully represent an important added value for tourists and our customers.”
