Early morning at the fish market

I didn't sleep very well, probably because I knew I had to be up early and was worried I would miss my 5.15 alarm! There's no kettle in my hotel room here, so I wasn't able to use any of the coffee sachets I've got in my luggage. There wasn't anywhere open to get a coffee en route to the meeting point for my tour either, so I had to start out without any refreshment. First world problems 😂.

My guide, Subhan, arrived promptly in a taxi to take me to our first stop. I was the only one on today's tour. Our first call was at Sassoon Dock to see the wholesale fish market. This opens at 3am every day, 365 days a year - hence the early start. It was still dark, but the place was alive with activity and noise.

Sassoon Dock was built in 1875 on reclaimed land. It was owned by the mercantile company David Sassoon & Co headed by Albert Abdullah David Sassoon (1818–1896), son of David Sassoon, a Baghdadi Jew and the leader of the Jewish community in Bombay. The Sassoon Docks were the first commercial wet dock in western India and helped establish the cotton trade.

Now, fish is landed here and immediately sold, usually by auction, directly to hotels and restaurants, as well as to fish traders. It was fascinating, if a little smelly, to experience!Read more