National Maritime Museum, Galle

The Maritime Museum in Galle is located in the Old Dutch warehouse of the fort of Galle. This is the only museum that highlights the biological and anthropological marine elements of Sri Lanka’s Southern coast. This museum shows essentially the marine artefacts found during underwater expeditions.

The Maritime museum is worth the tour if you like different models of ships and is a fan of things preserved for centuries.  This place shows a selection of boat models, maps,, cannons and shipwreck stuff collected from the ages. This also demonstrates the traditional lifestyle of fishing groups and their various techniques.

A part of this museum is dedicated to the display of marine ecosystems. One can spot models of mangroves, seashore plants, turtles, sea birds and a wide variety of marine mammals. Some specimens of corals and marine shells can also be found here.

It is a perfect place to learn about the fishing boats in Sri Lanka, the visiting merchants and their colonial strength. The Warehouse building is worth a visit itself! The multiple wrecks on the coats of Sri Lanka have made some fantastic finds. A large Whale skeleton mounted on the roof is a fantastic sight altogether.