A first of its kind museum has been unveiled in Colombo. The underwater museum lies in the seas off Galle, on the southern coast of the island country. Plans for the museums opening coincide with the kickstart or a tourism drive from the Sri Lankan government, with the country opening up attractions on August 1st.
According to reports, the 15-metre-deep underwater museum was constructed by the Sri Lankan Navy. Galle, the location of the museum, is well known for its ancient Dutch Fort, which has become a tourist hotspot for the country.
The museum was inaugurated by cutting a ribbon underwater at the entrance, cut by Navy Commander, and experienced underwater diver, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva. The initial plans for the museum involved using old train compartments and fishing vessels to house the exhibits along with promoting marine life, although it was not possible to source these items in time for opening.
The statues within the museum were eventually constructed from discarded concrete and steel by Navy personnel. One of the key aims of the museum is to help educate and inform guests about the regeneration of coral, and fish breeding.
‘It is very encouraging to see that the fish breeding has already started at this underwater museum site. By the next season, it is certain that tourists will be able to dive in this area and the surrounding hotels will be able to add this site to their list of tourist attraction,’ said the Sri Lanka Navy in a statement.
Sri Lanka’s multi-billion-dollar tourism industry was ground to a halt earlier this year, as the spread of COVID-19 forced the country to go into lockdown. Last year the country attracted over 2 million tourists, and the tourism sector contributes around 11 per cent of the total GDP. Some lockdown restrictions were lifted on May 26, after 1947 cases of coronavirus leaving the total death toll for the country at 11.
