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Close to the southern tip of South Andaman Island, west of Port Blair, lies Wandoor, a quaint, little city with spectacular seashores and luxurious greens, typical of tropical locations. It’s also the entry level to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine Nationwide Park, one in all India’s six protected marine environments. Most mornings, the jetty at Wandoor is buzzing with exercise, as boats ferry individuals to the thalassic wilderness each half-hour.
Unfold over 280 sqkm, the park includes a dozen islands and several other islets with bays, creeks and lagoons, and fragile ecosystems. Of those, solely two—Jolly Buoy and Crimson Pores and skin—are open to guests. And it’s to one in all these that the boats head to on an hour-long journey, winding their manner by way of a labyrinth of mysterious mangroves which might be house to a number of wildlife species akin to civets and deer, however none of them are seen by way of the thick development. The abundance of water birds, nonetheless, greater than makes up for it. Vibrant blue kingfishers, herons and waders flit throughout.
A lot of the islands are surrounded by fringing reefs and vegetation that typically fluctuate from island to island, relying on the extent of human interplay. A couple of of the islands are additionally essential turtle breeding grounds.
The shores of the Jolly Buoy Island are a palette of mesmerising shades of blue met by pale sands. Picturesque as all of it’s, the larger attraction are the coral reefs which might be near the shore and in such shallow waters that it feels secure to snorkel even for rookies. What instantly catches the attention on the planet under are the vivid colors of the corals in myriad shapes—spiny, needle-shaped, stubby, cauliflower-shaped, fan-shaped with domes like mushrooms. Some are clumped collectively, others scattered.
Between them, they harbour different sea creatures. The seafloor is filled with shells and pebbles on which a sluggish octopus leisurely ambles alongside. There are a handful of star fish of differing sizes, in purple, purple and yellow. Nondescript big clams, their shells a boring sandy color, merge with the ground, abruptly opening to disclose placing violent insides.
Darkish sea cucumbers relaxation immobile on the corals and startle once they abruptly transfer. After which there are fishes that boggle the thoughts and dazzle the attention. A few of them swim in shoals, gracefully weaving out and in and across the corals, shifting as if to a silent symphony. Others are alone or in pairs. There are parrot fish, tiger fish, angel fish, butterfly fish, in streaks of yellow, orange, inexperienced, blue and purple.
Probably the most fascinating creatures although are shiny orange clownfish, tiny in measurement however so agile. They dart out and in of crevices, and are playful sufficient to method, however scurry away in case you attain out to the touch them. It feels a bit like coming into the fantasy world of Discovering Nemo.
After greater than an hour of watching this gigantic reside aquarium, it’s time to head again, however not earlier than taking a couple of minutes to lie on the powdery sands of the seashore because the light waters wash over.
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