Waves measured at 12 m in the near-shore waters of the Gulf of Mannar for a 1-year period are used to examine the predominance of wind seas and swells through spectral characterization. The waves of the study region are under the control of sea breeze, with the maximum in the late evening and the minimum in the early morning. A total of 53 % of the surface height variance in the study area results from swells from the southeast and south; the remainder are wind seas from the east and southeast.