Normally, when one wakes up early in the morning—or at least for many of us university students—there is a bit of a sigh. It would just be so nice to stay in bed! On this field course, we’ve had a number of early mornings, each touched with a bit of exhaustion but largely filled with the excitement and promise of a hike through the Runakanda Forest Restoration Site or a safari through Yala. Today, there were the usual sighs and excitement, but it was also bittersweet. This was our last early morning in Sri Lanka.
We soon pushed aside this reality to embrace the marine adventures to come. Arriving at the docks, we skirted past bikes and tuk-tuks, scrambling our way to the top deck of our boat. All around us, colourful, almost tie-dyed fishing boats in the Sri Lankan style lined the protected harbour—steep-bowed and sitting high in the water, waiting to be filled with their catch. The boats filled with tourists and, by 6:30, we were off.
Despite the calm seas, a number of us had to endure the woes of seasickness—but it was all worth it as soon as we heard the call: “Bottlenose dolphins—three o’clock!” Everyone clambered to the starboard side of the vessel. It didn’t matter. Soon, the dolphins were dancing through our bow wake, manoeuvring in a display that proved difficult to capture, even for the most experienced photographers. Next came the smaller cousins of the bottlenose—the spinners—followed by Risso’s dolphins. The top-heavy boat swayed from side to side, listing toward whichever direction the dolphins emerged. Garry, an ornithologist living in Colombo, and his son Jude proved invaluable with their knowledge of the fauna all around us.
After we had passed Sri Lanka’s famous coastal shelf, we received the greatest treat: pilot whales. Our boat raced toward the call from nearby vessels. In the distance, they were manoeuvring separately, trying to catch a glimpse of these behemoths as thirty-odd whales dove for squid undertaking their daily vertical migration. We finally joined the party. For over 30 minutes, we watched as the pod resurfaced for air, caught their breath, and rolled into a dive—water streaming off their tails on the final descent. Then we would set our timers and keep watch until, ten minutes later, the pod emerged again. It was incredible.
By this point, we had been on the boat for nearly six hours, so it was time to head back. Some of us slept, some chatted about favourite mementos from the course, and some simply watched the horizon. But all were anticipating the final debate, prepared by yours truly: Meg, Olin, Rivindi, Hannah, and Claire. Some might say it was the highlight of the entire trip—though you may be hard-pressed to find them.
Four o’clock came around, and the fiery exchange came to an end. Beach time!
We all rushed to change into our swimsuits before boarding the buses and heading to Turtle Beach, hoping to snorkel alongside sea turtles. Unfortunately, our time underwater didn’t quite live up to the beach’s name, as the turtles had since moved on and we didn’t see any. We did, however, see coral restoration projects in action, attracting a variety of tropical fish and adding to the experience. We stayed in the water for over an hour before being gathered for a photo taken by another tourist who knew all the right angles.
We then said a sad goodbye to Turtle Beach before heading back to our hostel for one last dinner, where we shared stories and laughs from the day. We decided that this amazing course deserved a celebration, leading us to the restaurant next door for a few drinks and some time to hang out before heading to bed ahead of our long day of travel the next morning.
Who knew school could be so much fun! Sounds wonderful. Well written to boot.
Thinking of you all…