FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO PHOTOGRAPH SRI LANKA'S AMAZING WILDLIFE WATCH WALES AND DOLPHINS LEAPING, SPINNING & FROLICKING SAFARIS IN YALA AND UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARKS IN SEARCH OF ELEPHANTS, SLOTH BEAR, CROCODILES AND LEOPARD

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Tour Date: 13 February to 26 February 2011
Tour Leader: Peter Smart

Sri Lanka is one of the smallest but most biologically diverse countries in Asia. Indeed, the country is listed by Conservation International as one world’s official biodiversity hotspots. Our exciting tour visits two contrasting wildlife areas of this beautiful country. Firstly we cruise the waters around the coastline which are now acknowledged to have one of the highest concentrations of dolphins and whales in the world. Blue Whales, the largest mammal on the planet, are seen regularly at the time we visit together with Killer, Humpback and Sperm Whales. Large schools of Spinner Dolphins are frequently seen as they cut through the brilliant blue sea - leaping, spinning and frolicking! The second half of our tour concentrates on two of the country’s national parks - Yala and Udawalawe - which are excellent for Leopard and Asian Elephant, and a large variety of other animals and birds.

Whales & Dolphins
Our tour begins with an overnight flight to Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo. We are transferred to a beach hotel, giving us a chance to relax after our journey. The next morning we drive north to the Kalpitiya peninsula and have our first opportunity to see Spinner Dolphins - we may see as many as 200 spinning and jumping out of the water around our boat! The following day we cruise further from the shore to concentrate on whales. Melon-headed Whales, Blue Whales, Minke Whales, Sperm Whales and Dwarf Sperm Whales are all seen regularly in these waters at this time of year.

We then move on to spend three days around Mirissa on the south coast where we hope to encounter the mighty giants of the sea - Blue Whales, Sperm Whales and Killer Whales - either
breaching the surface, offering tantalizing glimpses, or longer, lingering views. To stare into the eye of one of these mysterious, huge animals is to look back to the beginning of time!

Yala & Udawalawe National Parks
Saying our farewells to the cetaceans, we drive to Yala National Park where we will spend three days. Yala is Sri Lanka’s largest and best known national park and has good populations of Asian Elephant, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Crocodile and Wild Boar. Recent studies have suggested that Yala has the world’s highest concentration of leopard per square kilometer. We then spend two days in Udawalawe National Park which is excellent for seeing Asian Elephants in the wild.

During our stay we will also visit the Elephant Transit Home which is a project established by the Born Free Trust. Baby elephants who are injured or orphaned in the wild are brought to the Transit Home where they are cared for and rehabilitated in a natural setting.

Throughout the tour we will stay in comfortable hotel and lodge accommodation, often
located by the beach. For our marine excursions we will join our local naturalist at the ship early each morning to maximise our chance of finding cetaceans and having the best light for
photography. The type, size and numbers of boats we use will vary between locations but will be chosen to ensure there is sufficient room for photographers and their equipment. Similarly, in the national parks we will only have three clients per vehicle to enhance the photographic experience.

Your Guides
Peter Smart from Wild Arena will accompany you. Peter is a professional wildlife photographer, escorting wildlife tours to a variety of countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana,
Namibia, India, Spitsbergen, Borneo, Sri Lanka and the Galapagos Islands. Peter treats it as a genuine privilege to introduce people to the wildlife, landscapes and people of the countries he visits and his knowledge, organisational skills and sense of fun ensures that not only will you have excellent photographic and game-viewing opportunities but also a highly enjoyable holiday!

Sri Lanka is a wonderful country which offers fantastic opportunities to photograph wildlife on land and at sea. View our exciting itinerary and visit our tour photo gallery to see more amazing images from the islands. Please then contact us regarding any questions you may still have and to discuss possible extensions to this tour such as the Sinharaja Rain Forest reserve, cultural sites or simply relax on a tropical beach.

You are advised to make your reservation immediately once you have decided to join us, as places are strictly limited on this unique tour to the Wild Wonders of Sri Lanka: Whales, Leopards & Elephants.

In addition to our group departure dates, this itinerary (without photographic guide) can be operated on departure dates of your choice.