3rd March - Gal Oya National Park, Sri Lanka

Today we were going into the Gal Oya National Park.  Located in Sri Lanka’s lesser-visited eastern region. The park was established in 1954, the park protects the catchment of the Senanayake Samudraya reservoir — the largest in Sri Lanka.

It is the only national park in the country where boat safaris are possible, offering the extraordinary chance to see elephants swimming between islands. This is a strikingly diverse landscape, with forested hills, savannahs, turtleback rock formations and low grasslands, providing a serene, varied environment that remains blissfully undeveloped by mass tourism.

Overnight it  became quite cold and with only a sheet on the bed I awoke in the night feeling very chilly.  But in the morning it was beautiful looking out across the paddyfields as we walked to breakfast.

There was plenty of activity around the restaurant.  A male Purple-rumped Sunbird feeding on the flowers of a banana plant.

Sri Lankan Swallows on some overhead wires.

A very vocal Indian Robin.

The bare granite escarpments of Monkey Mountain an important cultural site for the indigenous Veddah tribe.

It was a short drive into the national park, we were going on a boat safari around the Senanayake Samudraya reservoir.  The reservoir was opened in 1949 and was created by damming the Gal Oya river.  It is the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka.  Reservoirs are referred to as "Tanks" in Sri Lanka.  Interestingly Sri Lanka has no natural lakes all the inland water has been created by man, they do have many rivers.

We drove along the main dam of the reservoir to join the boat safari.  As we waited to board there were stunning views across the lake.  The water is dotted with many islands and rocks.

With very little breeze the water was like the proverbial mill pond, very welcome as we were in a very small boat with out any roof, we were given a life jacket though.

Cruising past a collection of rocks there were Whiskered Terns roosting.

On one of the islands we came a cross a pair of Great Thick Knees.  

They are larger than the Indian Thick Knee seen at Udawalawa and have a much more prominent eye and bill with definite black markings around the ear coverts and supercilium.

Away in the distance a large boulder in the water and there was something perched on the top.

As we approached the rock a White-bellied Sea Eagle was flying towards us.

The White-bellied Sea Eagle is the largest bird of prey in Sri Lanka and as you can see they do not just restrict themselves to the coast.

As we approached closer to the rock it was clear another was sitting on the rock and we were able to get very close without disturbing it.

A portrait.

But it was the elephants you felt the guides wanted to show us and soon we could see several on one of the larger islands.  Here a bull elephant.

As we got closer to the island it became clear there was a large group of elephants including two youngsters.  As the elephants became aware of us the the mothers of the youngsters were quick to move them away from us.

But as the engines were cut they seemed to accept us and we could watch them closely, not the best light though.

They had been feeding on the grass, but started to move towards the water.

Where a mud shower was the order of the day.

Pretty soon all the herd came to the water to shower in the mud and to drink the water.

The elephants here have the security of the many islands and will swim between the islands, using the trunk as a snorkel. Seeing them do so is rare, taking the opportunity to so so at dusk or night.

We waited to see if they would enter the water and even try to swim, but they didn't, after drinking they moved away once again and returned to feeding on the grass.

We moved on, taking in the scenery of the reservoir.  Dead trees poking out of the water, not unlike the dead trees of Souvalei in Namibia.

And another White-bellied Sea Eagle at the top of one of the dead trunks.

We were to be treated to some coffee and cake, so found a small island where we could get out of the boat and paddle.  From here though we could see the bull elephant we had seen first.  Accompanied by four Cattle Egret it moved into the water.

When we left the island we made our way towards the bull, he had now moved into deeper water and was almost submerged, the trunk being held under water, until it was time to breathe, then blowing bubbles he would raise the trunk.

As we turned away from the elephant a Blue-tailed Bee-eater flew from the perches of the dead branches.

By the way we were searching the shorelines of the lake I think the guides were trying to find us crocodiles, but they didn't find anything.  We did come across this nicely posed Grey Heron.

So it was back to the camp and another afternoon of leisure.  I decided to spend it this time by the pool.

Another wonderful sunset as we walked to the restaurant for another lovely dinner, the food here has really been very good.

A distant view of the Monkey Mountain.

We move on again tomorrow, further east to coast.