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aritime
museum Galle, of the department of national museum in an education center
visitors showing life styles of the fisherman & natural resources of
southern province. This museum was first opened for the public on 9th
May 1992 in old ware house in the Dutch Fort, Galle. In 2004 this museum was
completely destroyed by the Tsunami disaster. Galle maritime museum was
reopened to the general public on 18th May 2009, funded by the
Netherlands. Sri Lanka cultural collaboration program under the supervision of
ministry of cultural affairs & National Heritage.
The
exhibition of the first gallery represents the history of Galle harbor and the
cultural of fishing community in southern coastal area. Fishing is the major
livelihood of the people of the southern coastal belt. They constitute a
community with & distinctive language, customs, rituals beliefs and fishing
equipment of their own. The aim of this gallery is to depict the life ways of
this community. A variety of objects including models of fishing crafts,
fishing equipment & information on fishing techniques, communal life and
languages are displayed. The gallery also displays a model of a cargo ship
known as “Maha Oruwa “ which belonged to a family of several generations of
sailors, the Dodanduwa Galle.
The
diorama of the second gallery represents botanical exhibition on mangroves, sea
shore plants and marine algae. Nature of mangroves and its growth is shown here
by well arranged models. Photos of plants species grown in Rekawa and
Kalametiya lagoons have been displayed here. This is followed by more photos of
sea shore plants & list of adaptations. Algae grown in the shallow water
level of the tidal waves shown by real specimens preserved in wet media for
easy identification.
Zoology
gallery starts from the beautiful marine invertebrate classification panel
specimens of evolutionary important animals such as Sea cucumber, Sea urchin,
Brittle Star, Bivalves and leaps exhibits within this panel and all the other
marine invertebrates are representing by photographs.
Attractive
and highly productive coral types and their developmental stages are displayed
here too. A collection of mallusca’s shells shows high more phological
diversity. As well as an exhibition of common edible marine fish in Sri Lanka
gives educational value with identification guide.
This
gallery consists with models of marine mammals “common”in coastal zone around
Sri Lanka gives facts about them. Marine mammals; such as Blue Whale (
Balaenoptera Musculus ) Brude’s Whale (Balaenoptera Edeni), Killer Whale
(Orcinus Orca), Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaengliae), Bottle Mask Dolphin
(Tursi ops Truncates) Dug ong (Do gang Do Gang ), Ginkogo Toothed Beaked Whale
( Mesoplodon Ginkgodens) can be seen in this galley.
Furthermore,
specimens of some marine birds are displayed here. There is a view of egg lying
of green turtle among five turtle species in Sri Lanka next to the marine mammals’
gallery.
Huge
and rare skeleton of brude’s Whale which runs along the gallery is unforgettable
memory of the visitors. This whale records rarely in coastal zone around Sri
Lanka. It was standed in the seas closer to the Colombo commercial harbor in
November 2003 and buried within NARA premises by the crew of NARA. In September
of 2008 Department of National Museum excavated this skeleton and prepared it
for display.
Tsunami
is a large ocean waves that is caused by a sudden motion on the ocean floor.
This sudden motion could be an earth quake or any other reason. Tsunami can
travel across the open ocean at great speed & build in to deadly waves when
they encounter the land. Tsunami that affected Sri Lanka on 26th
December in 2004 was sadder motion of the ocean floor. The model that shows
Tsunami’s reactions of Sri Lanka is kept for exhibition in this museum.
There
will be educational programs on every Saturdays at maritime museum Galle and
specially lectures will be delivered on request.
