Spinner Dolphin

Photo: Atharva Kasturia · CC BY-NC

Large pods of spinner dolphins accompany the offshore passage to Sperm Whale Alley from October through May, frequently bow-riding and engaging with the vessel in extended acrobatic displays that include the spinning leaps that give the species its name. They are a deep-diving, nocturnal feeding species that rest in shallow coastal waters by day and move offshore at dusk to hunt vertical migrators along the deep scattering layer. Pod sizes off Batticaloa can exceed 200 individuals during peak months, creating one of the most spectacular cetacean encounters available from Sri Lanka.