Last night was a hot one, the fan was whizzing around all night to move the warm air about. At 5.45 am the alarm on my phone went off to wake us up to got whale watching. Mirissa is close to the migration route of several whale species, so the whale watching tours are a big draw to the town.A tuk tuk delivered us to our boat, which we boarded at 6.10, we were the first on board. Gradually the boat filled up with other whale watchers on two levels, and set off at 7.20. The seats were a size more suited to children, and we all wore buoyancy aids. About a dozen other boats emerged from the harbour to travel out to close by the shipping lane to find cetaceans.
There was lots of excitement when we saw a group of small dolphins curving over the waves. A few times we saw a spout from the blow hole of a whale, and the whole armada of spotting boats charged in that direction. We briefly saw the back and fin of a whale (a Blue, according to a crew member), but no more than that. After a few hours at sea we returned to the harbour, disappointed but sanguine. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
We ate lunch at the cheap and cheerful Rotty Hut on Galle Road, and then went down to the lovely long curved beach. The weather was a bit overcast, but it wasn’t a problem. At the far end of the beach we found the Peace Bar, and settled in. The surf literally washes the front of the bar, and a hundred metres out to sea surfers test their skills on the waves. They have an excellent choice of old classic tunes (Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers) and chill out music. Sitting with a beer watching the surfers is a great way to relax. We got there at about 4pm and as I write at 7 I’m still here. There has been helluva thunderstorm, so we just had to stay and have more beers. Now it’s Happy Hour, and it would just be rude to go.
timharnesstravels 