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Some countries attach more importance to flag dipping than others. During the 1969-70 season at Marmugao there were ships of all nationalities loading iron ore, mostly at anchor in the river or just outside. Warships leaving and entering the naval base at Vasco da Gama expected to be noticed and receive due ceremony. Of course that didn't happen, no-one kept a full-time bridge watch with half a dozen lighters alongside and stevedores running all over the place.
The Port Admiral notified both shipping agencies that his ships were to be acknowledged when passing through the anchorage so the message came around to keep an eye out for warships and do the necessary. Of course once those particular ships had loaded and departed, the newly arrived were unaware of what had gone before, the agents said nothing, so the whole process began again. The season lasted from late August to April when the SW monsoon began to make the anchorage untenable for lighters.
I only spent the one season on that run, but I imagine the same thing happened every year.
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