WDC recently launched an exciting new project in Sri Lanka to help the blue whales that live in the waters there. 

Project BLUEprint is working with the local whale watch community to encourage people to view blue whales – and other whales and dolphins -carefully and safely.

There are 27 species of whale and dolphin in these waters and Vanessa Williams-Grey who heads WDC’s Responsible Whale Watch programme was lucky enough to visit Mirissa in Southern Sri Lanka in early March to meet local whale watch operators and see for herself the way boats are handled around the whales.

Vanessa met with local naturalist, Anoma Alagiyawadu, who has done a lot to publicise the importance of protecting local whales and dolphins and gives talks to local schoolchildren about their marine heritage. Not many children are lucky enough to grow up with blue whales as their neighbours!

Part of the project is also to find out more more about the blue whales of Sri Lanka as very little is known at the moment. They are an endangered species and, of course, the largest animals on Earth. We want to keep them safe!

Find out more about blue whales and other species.