Anaaha convinced her parents to fly out to Sri Lanka from Bangalore to see the blue whales in our waters. Anaaha is just 8 years old. I had the privilege of speaking to her by phone very briefly and was struck by how much she already knew and how curious her mind was. My favourite question - how do you know that that red stuff is the whale's poo?
All credit goes to Anaaha's parents. One day she will appreciate the support they extended to her to achieve her dreams. Enjoy her thoughts on her day on the water off Mirissa.
It looks like you have a future grad assistant lined up.
ReplyDeleteIt's inspirational to see that kids are genuinely curious about the seas and the world we live in..
ReplyDeleteWe just returned from an eventful trip in Kalpitiya over the weekend. Early in the morning, our boatman delivered some disturbing news - illegal fishing nets were being used off the coast of Puttalam and were a leading cause of 10-15 dolphin deaths per DAY. Certain Navy personnel (who incidentally are supposed to monitor the seas for illegal activity) were passively watching from their Dhora boats. Our boatman said they even assist by shooting at the fish/marine mammals in order to increase the fishermen's catch and get a fair cut out of it as well.
As we snorkelled off the coast of Dutch Bay, it was evident that the coral reefs were dead and grey. Probably as a result of constant dynamite and boating..
We intend to write to the Navy headquarters to investigate into the allegations of local boatmen and residents in to this area of the island and help to protect our natural heritage for future generations..