Whale Watching off Mirissa

The continental shelf drops away steeply just south of Mirissa, and into that deep water come the largest animals that have ever lived. Blue whales pass within a few miles of the harbour, and from December to April a morning boat gives you a real chance of seeing one.

Go early, before the wind gets up and the sea turns choppy. Choose an operator that keeps its distance and cuts the engine rather than chasing — a good skipper reads the blows and waits. When a blue whale surfaces beside the boat, the scale of it rearranges something in your head.

Take ginger for the swell, and don''t spend the whole time behind a phone screen.