On 27 October, a Cessna T206H took off from the Domestic Airport in Koggala, one of the first in a long line of flights dedicated to an alternate way of experiencing the lifestyle and behavioural patterns of marine wildlife.

One of the subspecies of Blue Whale, the Pygmy Blue Whale, is known to roam the waters of the Indian Ocean along with other marine mammals – Sei Whales, Fin Whales, Bryde’s Whales, Eden’s Whales, Omura’s Whales, Sperm Whales, Minke Whales, Humpback Whales, Melon-Headed Whales, Orcas, Pygmy Killer Whales, False Killer Whales, Risso’s Dolphins, Common Bottlenose Dolphins, Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphins, Fraser’s Dolphins, Humpback Dolphins, Striped Dolphins, Spinner Dolphins, Porpoises and Dugongs. A number of these creatures are endangered in Sri Lanka and around the world, thus sights of them are often rare.

And of course, one cannot visit the underwater kingdom of the Indian Ocean without a chance to glimpse and marvel at the queen herself. Weighing up to 150 tons with a length of about 100ft, the female Blue Whale is known to be larger than her male consort. But be it male or female, the gigantic mammal is truly an indescribable sight.

Peering down from the window of the aircraft and watching a group of dolphins popping up from the waves and playing among themselves is most amusing, but nothing beats the sight of a blue whale quietly making its way through the waters of the ocean. Hovering in the air the one is able to take in the true size and majesty of the gentle giant as it submerges to breathe and then cruises along the waves like a pale blue torpedo.

11 November will see the launch of the tour package known as, Whale-Watching by Air, by F-Air, a recognised domestic airline and fully owned subsidiary of Fairway Holdings Ltd. A total of seven flights will take off during the course of each day of the weekend, flying over the coast of Koggala towards the expanse of the Indian Ocean.

Guests will also be able to enjoy an informative pre-briefing session conducted by experts in the field of Marine Biology.

Source : http://www.ft.lk/travel-tourism/F-Air-presents-whole-new-glimpse-into-kingdom-of-whales/27-642858