The fishing harbour at the eastern end of Mirissa is where the working side of the town lives. Colourful wooden fishing boats — outriggers with painted eyes on their bows — crowd the small jetty, and the activity is most intense in the early morning when the night's catch is landed and sold directly off the boats. It is also the departure point for whale watching trips.
Wandering the harbour in the early morning is one of the more vivid experiences Mirissa offers — the fishermen sorting their catch, the smell of salt and fish, the light coming up over the eastern headland. The catch goes quickly to local restaurants and markets. Watching the boats head out before dawn, lit by their own lights, is worth setting an alarm for.