Sri Lankan waters are considered a haven for the largest creatures ever to have lived, the blue whale, a rare place for a resident, year-round population to thrive. In 2021, however, news headlines claimed a population decline, and in 2023, a media report mentioned a significant drop in blue whale sightings.

For decades, the North Indian Ocean has been known to have its own distinct population of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus). They have their own vocalization or dialect, distinct from other blue whale populations. They also spend all year in warm waters, unlike most other blue whales, who migrate to feed in cold waters and breed in warmer seas, says Asha de Vos, a marine biologist and founder of Oceanswell, a marine conservation research and education center in Sri Lanka.

To read the full story visit https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/blue-whale-decline-in-sri-lanka-tied-to-climate-and-human-activity/

Photo credit: Ranil Nanayakkara