Killer Whale

Killer whales were long considered rare in Sri Lankan waters. Before 2008 the records were two unconfirmed sightings from 1868 and 1872, a few bycatch specimens and fishers' accounts. Then three sightings came within twelve months, in March 2008 to February 2009: one off the northwest coast near Kalpitiya, and two off the south coast near Mirissa, including a pod of three seen 6.4 km south-west of the port on 8 February 2009 (Ilangakoon et al. 2010).

Off Kalpitiya in 2017 researchers watched about 12 killer whales attack a group of 100 to 200 sperm whales on 18 March, and about 20 attack a smaller group on 3 April, in water around 1,000 m deep. Females led both attacks (Nanayakkara et al. 2020). The authors suggest the whales were always there and researchers were absent, since the northwest was closed off during the civil war.