Royapuram Fishing Harbour

Under the administration of Chennai Port Trust, Royapuram Fishing Harbour is one of the most popular fishing grounds in Chennai. Located in a region which is famous for seafood, this harbour surely has its name among the busiest fishing hubs of Tamil Nadu. If you visit the Royapuram Fishing Harbour, you will almost always find the place crowded with different types of fishing vessels. From the full length, 45 feet boats to the smallest of catamarans, you will see them all.

Run by mostly the local fishing community, the harbour holds a daily sale quantity of 200 tonnes. A unique feature of the Royapuram Fishing Harbour is the auction hall, where most of the day's catch is sold off for further retail selling. The hall gets a footfall of more than 30,000 every day. Not just local fishmongers, but wholesale traders from neighbouring states like Kerala and Karnataka also visit to stock top quality sea fish. Almost 30 percent of the catch is sold away to the other states; the remaining is sold off to the local sellers. If you are a fan of the Pisces, you definitely should visit this place.

Here and there you will find heaps of shimmering, silvery saltwater fish as well as crustaceans, all caught fresh and soon to be sold off to the highest bidder in the auction hall. You cannot get a share from here, but you can certainly go around clicking as many pictures as you want of the fishermen doing their daily chores. For doing a bit of shopping on your own, visit the Kasimedu Fishing Harbour Market, adjacent to the harbour, with around 90 stalls selling all varieties - seer, Pomfret, prawn, lobsters, shark, sardine, crab, silver bellies, carangids, mackerel and even snails, oysters and mussels. If you are interested in shipbuilding, you can witness a glimpse of it at the pier area where fishing boats are built to cater to the fishermen of the harbour.