Most methods of abundance estimation rely heavily on cue counting.
Knowledge of dive times is important to estimate the amount of time a whale spends submerged and undetectable for counting as it allows for more accurate abundance estimations.
Not accounting for the temporal dependence in dive types leads to an underestimation of IBI, which subsequently leads to an underestimation of density and ultimately abundance.
In this study, the results obtained for the surfacing and diving characteristics of blue whales off southern Sri Lanka are comparable with those obtained for blue whales elsewhere in the northern hemisphere.
Besides its use in survey calibration, this data can also be used to measure responses to potential threats, such as vessel traffic and sound sources and to examine foraging behaviour in relation to anthropogenic presence and presence of other species.