Boats.
The happy end of a successful Whale-watching trip from Mirissa Harbour.
At this colourful, yet decisive, moment, we are minutes from completing the homeward bound journey at the end of a successful Whale-watching voyage out of Mirissa Harbour.
It’s just before noon, and we are tired after being at sea since dawn – passing several of these catamarans all the while, going out and coming in. Made in a unique Sri Lankan style, they are related to the designs of the South Sea Islanders of the Pacific (9,000 km away).
Comfortably on the leeward side of the Cape protecting Weligam Bay and the local fishing harbour from the dominant south-westerly winds, the sea is calm compared to the water further out. The Midday Sun is overhead, so most of the crew have covered their heads for protection.
The warm colours of the boat and the crew, the blue of the sea, a sandy beach, coconut palms and hills with a tropical haze.
A moment in space. Frozen in time.
(Click here, on Whales, for pictures of the resident Sri Lankan Blue Whales we saw that day.)
Click on any of the smaller photographs below, to enlarge the image and see the caption.
All Ship Shape
This neatly-stored and brightly-painted fishing boat is heading east, out into the blue waters of The Bay of Bengal.
Just off Mirissa Harbour, Sri Lanka.
Changeable Weather
During the Monsoon season the weather can change quickly and dramatically. The fishermen keep a close eye on the winds and seas, and listen to the weather forecast avidly.
Multi-day Boat off the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka,
near the East-West Shipping Lanes.
Dangerous Waters
Sri Lanka is in an enviable location, where the busy East-West shipping route passes just six to ten nautical miles south of the island. More than 60,000 ships ply this route annually (165 every 24 hours), carrying two-thirds of the world’s oil and half of all container shipments. They are, inevitably, another hazard the local fisherman must be wary of.
Multi-day Boat
Fishing boats like this range far out to sea – east, west and south of Sri Lanka.
They are at risk from storms and even Tropical Cyclones (Hurricanes).
Traditional Square-sailed fishing catamaran.
The image is grainy and blurred, as the boat was a long way off and moving faster than ours. The only time I have seen fishermen in this type of outrigger powered under sail.
The Deep Blue
