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A Journey to Mannar and the ‘Dancing Islands’ – 2 – by Nimal Chandrasena  Pearl Fishing Recording my recollections and reflections about what life would have been like in Mannar, centuries ago, I digressed. My attention was drawn to perhaps the most important and interesting aspect of life in Mannar and the north-central coastline for thousands of years (I learnt that later!). It is Pearl Fishing. Pearl oysters, from whom pearls are obtained, are a group of ‘bivalves’ (type of Mollusc), mainly of the Genus Pinctada (Familiy: Pinctodae); and several species, including the one common in the Gulf of Mannar: Pinctada radiata.  Pearls are formed when an irritant, such as a tiny stone or bit of sand gets inside the mollusc’s shell. The bivalve secretes a lustrous substance called ‘nacre’, around the object to protect its soft internal surface. As layer upon layer of nacre coats the irritant, a pearl is ...