I was tempted to say that this day started like any other day at sea, but every day is different at sea. This morning a pod of dolphins graced us with their presence rather early, prompting many people to get up earlier than they had intended.
We spent the first few hours cruising south of Dondra looking for marine mammals and other sea creatures.
In this area, the continental shelf drops quickly to great depths and it is a renowned location to spot whales. The time spent scanning the horizon and sea surface with binoculars bore fruits: a blue whale was spotted shortly after breakfast by Mike Greenfelder, our undersea specialist.
In the late morning, we sailed into the Galle Harbour, had lunch onboard and made our way to town in three spacious and air-conditioned buses, which transported us into the Dutch Quarter of the town, its Fort.
The visit of the town included the Maritime Museum, a Dutch Reformed and English Protestant church, and the fortifications surrounding this part of town. Many of us spent quite a while walking around on top of the fortified wall, admiring the vista from this elevated viewpoint.
As the Fort changes hands from Portuguese, to Dutch, to French and English, many details remain carved in the building stones attesting to the city’s colourful past.
We returned to National Geographic Orion after a little shopping for souvenirs for some, for a delicious dinner served in the balmy evening on the Outdoor Café. A string-puppet show delighted us in the second part of the evening, presented by a local troupe of puppeteers. Despite the language barrier, the comical situations delighted the spectators, and we retired for a welcome rest in our cabins.
