A few weeks ago we went on our first WWW trip in two years and I’m going to recount a few of the highlights from the trip. Linked below each is an eBird checklist from each of the locations!
1. Estuary near Kahandamodara: The first place we stayed was a Back of Beyond hotel down south which was close to an ocean and an estuary – so one of the first outings we took was in the evening of the first day to observe the wildlife and take a dip. As you can see from the picture it really was a beautiful location and what was really special were the terns that would emerge inland from the estuary go out to sea and then circle back. We got to observe this pattern numerous times identifying a few different types of terns, most notably what we thought was the Great Crested Tern, a lifer. In addition, we got to play around in the water and take a dip which was really fun, and we also played a big game of ninja in the sand. https://ebird.org/checklist/S102113744
2. Safari in Bundala National Park: On the second day of our trip we were able to take an afternoon safari through Bundala National Park which was amazing. The undeniable highlight was when we were stopped at the cliffs and a rather courageous monkey with a mohawk decided to hang out with us. More than that when we tried to return to the jeeps it started following one of my friends and climbed up her! Luckily she and the teacher were able to remove it but it certainly added excitement. Besides that we had a phenomenal Osprey sighting, in a low bush in clear view. As well as a clear shot of a grey headed fish eagle fittingly nicknamed Mr. Pants by my friend. https://ebird.org/checklist/S101872638
3. Fish Massage in Sinharaja Rainforest: On the third and fourth day we were able to hike into Sinharaja rainforest to the different waterfalls to get a fish massage which was something I’d never done before. The first time was the Wednesday we arrived and after a delicious lunch, we got geared up in leech socks to hike to the waterfall. On the way there we learned about the different levels of the rainforest and our guide, Jagath, pointed out some different plants and trees. Once we were at the waterfall we all sat on the rocks around one of the pools where the fish were but as people started putting their feet in I just heard screams and people yanking their feet out of the water, discouraging at best. So it took me a while to actually put my feet in, it was a really funny sensation and it was kind of freaky when a bunch of the fish would just swarm around you but apparently, it was fun because the next day I actually swam in one of the pools where the fish were. https://ebird.org/checklist/S101872636
Learning Outcomes:
LO6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance: In the whole trip we looked a lot at biodiversity from birds to reptiles to amphibians we were able to photograph and watch a lot of different species in the places where we were.