“There were about two hundred to three hundred sperm whales swimming past us” enthused the amazing Daya, who swims alongside these amazing creatures on a regular basis. His passion for the seas and its splendor was recognized and featured in the prestigious BBC Blue Planet 2017 series in full HD with David Attenbourough narrating the programme. This amazing feat would not have been possible if not for the Head of Cinnamon Nature Trails; celebrated nature aficionado and advocate Chitral Jayatilake, who was instrumental in convincing the exclusive production house to visit our paradise isle and showcase its sperm whale pods to a world audience.
I was enraptured by a 3 minute video footage of the sperm whales ‘vacationing’ in Sri Lanka as Chitral revealed the lengthy process that led to this milestone in the history of our resplendent isle.
Pleasure in the Job Puts Perfection in the Work – Aristotle
Wetagodage Dayaratne or ‘Daya’ for short hails from Nuwara Eliya. The David Paynter Memorial School (David Paynter was the artist who painted the murals at the Trinity College chapel) built by his brother Arnold Paynter was his second home from the primary to the advance level classes. Thereafter, the young man enrolled at the Gamini Dissanayake Foundation for a period of two years. Following the completion of his studies, he worked at the NGO; CARE International, Hill Club, a garment factory and Yala Village managing to escape being a tsunami statistic thanks to the sand dunes that were the natural blockades against the killer waves that swept across the Southern coast on 26th December 2004. This eventually led to a hiatus in his career as his mother who had already lost a son to a watery grave felt compelled to keep Daya away from the water. During this period he spent his days close to his neighborhood which was none other than the forests of Nuwara Eliya with its abundance of fauna and flora. “My backyard was the jungle as our home was bordering the Horton plains and we were experts at combing through the plains and summiting the Pidruthalagala peak top umpteenth times.” His love for nature was evident in the manner he cared for even the creepy crawlies such as snakes as he was often called by his colleagues to relocate snakes found on various compounds back to the jungle.
My present job at Yala Nature Trails led to a marvelous self- discovery, his love for the ocean and its treasures. “I am so grateful to my present boss, Chitral Jayatilake for giving me an opportunity explore the vast ocean and for trusting his instincts about me as I had no certificates to show my love for nature except my unbridled enthusiasm. As I snorkeled at Pigeon Island, Trincomalee, I was literally hooked for life and refused to leave, eventually settling there and working in the deep blue and making new discoveries each moment in its depths.
I was employed at Chaya Blue for being trilingual but this eventually led to an exploration beyond my wildest dreams,” recalled Daya in amazement as he recalled the awe-inspiring experience of swimming alongside the gentle giants of the sea.
It was during one of his Moby Dick style adventures that he stumbled or shall we say swam into the supersized sperm whale pods which were unperturbed by this minuscule human who gaped with wonderment at the sight of them. “Thanks to my go-pro which a gift from my boss, I was able to video this marvel which was the start of a mission of Chitral’s as he was determined to woo BBC Blue Planet to SL waters. “During my annual visit to England for the Bird Fair in 2015, I took one of Daya’s videos and presented it to them at an impromptu meeting and they realized the potential of this tiny drop in the Indian Ocean. They were convinced of the endless possibilities in filming a supersized sperm whale pod which was a rare occurrence in any part of the world. In 2016 the crew spent 27 days filming the sightings for a clip that would last 4 minutes. This proves the extent of work which goes into producing the much loved program with a viewership of over 14 million people worldwide.”
At present Daya who has found his calling in life continues to support the many nature related programs which are spearheaded by Cinnamon Trails with Chitral Jayatilake and his team at the forefront.
The Blue Planet Series:
“Sir David Attenborough narrates this critically acclaimed series that dives deep into the marine environment of Planet Earth. Although two-thirds of the world’s surface is covered with water, scientists know less about the oceans than they do about the surface of the moon. This limited series travels from various coasts to the poles to examine watery denizens ranging from the gigantic blue whale to microscopic coral polyps.”
“Our work in Trincomalee since 2009 has uncovered a treasure trove of marine mammals and perhaps the highest concentration of sperm whales in the island. It was indeed a shining moment in our work to have BBC’s Blue Planet II filming with us and more so, when they picked our own Daya to be featured on this breathtaking production. Listening to the world’s greatest naturalist, Sir.David Attenborough colorfully narrating Sri Lanka’s marine diversity and Daya’s efforts was perhaps the single most fulfilling moment in my career,” remarked Chitral Jayatilake.
Written by Rochelle Palipane Gunaratne