Whales, members of the family Cetacea,are among the most fascinating and unique mammals on Earth. This family includes the largest animal in the world, the Blue whale, as well as other large species such as the Sperm whale, Omura’s whale, and Bryde’s whale, all of which are found in the tropical waters off Sri Lanka’s coast. Despite their prominence, much remains to be understood about these incredible creatures.

LEF is proud to have supported Oceanswell in their long-term efforts to bridge this knowledge gap by funding a component of the research analysing the distribution of whale species off the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. The project uses Oceanswell’s unique long-term dataset to examine shifts in species composition, and potential environmental drivers of these shifts.

The key objectives of the overarching project are:

●    Collate whale species and distribution data from 10 years of field surveys off the Southern coast of Sri Lanka.

●    Analyse the number of sightings and the number of individuals per year.

●    Investigate any shifts in whale species composition over the years.

●    Examine potential environmental and ecological drivers behind these shifts in species composition.

The findings will not only deepen our understanding of the marine biodiversity of Sri Lanka but will also contribute to the broader scientific knowledge of whale populations and their ecological dynamics. The project will continue beyond our support period as the scientific analysis is complex but and the work represents a significant step toward science-based marine conservation in Sri Lanka.

Picture credits: Adam Moore