THE Portland Upwelling Festival returns tomorrow after a two-year break, with a packed schedule full of ocean focussed events, as well as music, markets, and a stronger recognition of the area’s Gunditjmara history.

After a free breakfast on the trawler wharf, the day begins with the blessing of the fleet at 8.30am, a tradition that dates back in Portland well before the festival began in 2009 and is based an ancient Mediterranean practice ahead of the fishing season.