Marine National Park

Location :Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat
Coverage area : 162.9 km?
Main attraction : fishes
Best time to visit :end of October to end of February
Nearby excursions : Jamnagar boasts, Narara Island
Nearby cities :Jamnagar

Fluid and dynamic ecosystem at gulf of kutch national park

A marine park is a protected sea or a lake area which comprises of many species of marine life. They are generally found in the coastal areas and are protected reserves and the breeding grounds of several aquatic animals. These are eco-sensitive zones and are open to visitors for enjoy an entirely different form of fauna.

India boasts of several marine national parks that are someof the finest hotspots of bio-diversity. Marine National Park in Gulf of Kutch is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat. The state has the distinction of creating the country's first Marine National Park which encompasses an area of nearly 458 sq kms and is about 30 km from Jamnagar. The Gulf of Kutch in itself has an interesting geographical location; it is located on

the west coast of India along the arm of the Arabian Sea, and demarked the Saurashtra peninsula from the Little and Great Rann of Kutch. The Gulf of Kutch was declared a protected area, that is, a wildlife sanctuary in 1980.

It is important to note that special permits are needed to visit the islands which is issued by the Forest Department. They are particularly required for coral walks at Narara and Pirotan. Coral walks are arranged specifically in the time period between two high tides. Visit and exit from the islands is allowed only when there is low tide. So, for the tourists, it is advisable to check the timings of the tides and plan the trip accordingly.

There are 42 islands on the Jamnagar coast in the Marine (Gulf of Kutch) National Park of which 33 islands have coral reef. Karubhar, Pirotan, Narara, and Poshitra are the main islands.

Climatic conditions

Climatic conditions of this region are known to record extreme temperatures both during summer and winter. Gulf of Kutch is said to be one of the hottest areas of India where the summer months can reach up to 50?C while during the winter season the temperature goes below freezing point.

Best time to visitMarine National Park

The ideal time to visit Marine national park is from end of October to end of February.

Animals that inhabit the sanctuary

Fishes - About 200 Species
Prawns - About 27 Species
Sea mammal - About 37 Species
Sponges - About 70 Species
Crabs - About 30 Species
Sea snakes - About 03 Species
Mollusks - About 200 Species
Endangered sea turtle - About 03 Species
Birds - About 175 Species
Corals - About 55 Species
Sea weeds - About 147 Species
Brown, Green & Red algae - About 105 Species

Marine national park is the only centre in India which has the world?s four horned antelope and Chowsingha. The rare species of Borolo is also protected in the Park. In addition, the national park hosts the countless varieties of the marine mammals that are available in various shapes and sizes. Visitors here can come across some of unheard unseen species of fishes and other aquatic animals and plants that one can never even guess existed.

Wide variety of fishes, octopus, turtles, shrimps, sponge, sea urchin lurks and eels are spotted in various fascinating colors and textures that are otherwise hardly seen in regular marine life. One can visit the place to have the glance of the beautiful marine life which has the various species of Star fish and dolphins. The marine national park provides a perfect sight of the marine animals and their life that is otherwise so rare to find anywhere in India. Gulf of Kutch Marine national park is indeed one of the finest weekend getaways.

Additionally, the park has dense mangrove growth, that provides scores of birds with nesting and roosting sites.

Flora

Hydrocharitaceae and Potamogetonaceae are the dominat floral species.Mangroves including Avicennia alba,Rhizophora muctonata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Lumnitzera racemosa are also common.

Distance of Marine National Park from major cities:

Jamnagar ,7 km
Rajkot , 90 km
Rann of Kutch ,175 km
Ahemadabad, 350 km
Baroda ,386 km
Mumbai ,804 km
Jaipur ,949 km
New Delhi ,1205 km

How to reach the National park ?

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Airways

There are two major airports that connect the place. Tourists can take a flight to the nearest airport of Jamnagar which is about 7kms from the Marine national park. There are transfers available from the airport to take you to the marine park.Ahmadabad airport is about 350 km away.

Railways

The nearest railheads from the marine park include Jamnagar (7 km) and Rajkot (90 km). There are transfers from the railway station such as private cars, taxis and buses that take visitors to this place.

Roadways

The nearest bus stand is located at Jamnagar and there are buses at regular intervals for visitors.

Water ways

A boat ride from Bedi port or Nava port in Jamnagar is one of the fascinating ways to reach here. But the visitors are advised to arrive an hour before high tide so that they can schedule a couple of hours of travel in each direction. Motor boats are also available at Salaya and Narara islands. Recently, the department of tourism has banned the tourism at Pirotan because of security reasons. But options are open for Narara islands.

Accommodation facilities

Located at just 8 kilometers from Jamnagar city, there is a rest house which is maintained by the forest department. However, tourists can also book the various hotels and private lodging arrangements available in Jamnagar with basic amenities.

Mepani Corporation, Aram Hotel, Hotel President, Express Hotels are some of the excellent facilities located in Jamnagar.

Biodiversity and conservation challenges

Marine National Park of Gulf of Kutchh can be defined as a fragile ecosystem. In the recent past years, the biodiversity of this marine park has been under threat on numerous scores and mostly because of the increased turbidity of water, extraction of corals and sands by cement industries, chemical industries, oil refineries, and mechanised fishing boats. Presently, there are 31 species of corals which are reported in the Marine National Park and should be taken utmost care for conservation. There were two catastrophic and localized bleaching events happened in this region recently and have been a threat to the ecological balance.

Local attractions

Although the island is the main tourist attraction, Narara Island which lies 60 km from Jamnagar boasts of amazing scenic beauty and coral walks.

Pirotan Island is another popular island which can be reached from the Rozi Port on the Chejja Creek. The journey in itself is very fascinating.

Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Bet Dwarka, Dwarka Temple, and Nageshwar temple are some of the other attractions one should not miss while travelling to this National Park.