The Jamnagar Marine National Park is one of the rare places in the world where one can look at corals without having to dive down into the water. Blessed with extremely diverse, unique and fragile eco-systems, the marine sanctuary is an incredible experience! There are 42 tropical islands on the Jamnagar coast in the Marine National Park, most of them surrounded by reefs. Out of which 33 islands have coral reefs. However, visitors can only go to 2 islands- Narara and Pirotan islands
To see the real magic of the island, one must wait for the low tide.
Perfect pit stop on the way to Dwarka!
The Narara Island, India’s first Marine National Park, is located in Jamnagar, in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat and is a part of coastal region of Gulf of Kutch. Visiting this highly underrated and unknown island had been on my bucket list for a very long time and finally, this January I got on a flight from Mumbai to Jamnagar to experience the wonders of marine life. On reaching Jamnagar, we checked into our hotel- The Fern which is located on the outskirts of the city.
The timings of the sanctuary are based on the timings of the tide. For better chances to witness sea life one can only visit the sanctuary during the low tide.
The Entrance
We left our hotel at 9 am and drove for about 60 kms from Jamnagar towards Dwarka. The road is quiet smooth but the last 20 kms are off the highway, with dusty roads lined with a few small refineries and shops, making it a bumpy ride. After a 1.5 hour drive, we reached Narara. Tickets are to be purchased at the entrance in order to visit the island. Each ticket is for about 300 rupees, with additional charges for a guide and camera- which costed us about 1000 rupees more. Even though Narara is an island, it is well connected to the mainland and can be reached via road. However, Pirotan Island is accessible only via boat.
The island is under the control of the Forest Department and one can’t enter it without a forest permit and a guide. After a few initial formalities which took around 30 minutes, we were more than ready for our exciting day ahead! The kids were really hoping to see some interesting marine creatures. For the first 30 minutes we were walking through the shallow waters and the thick mangrove trees . The stroll is beautiful and a visual treat, but needs to be done with boots or sport shoes as there are not only crabs running around, but also sharp pebbles and stones on the trail.
The Mangrove trees standing upright, strong and unwavering in this marsh, all day and night!
Initially we saw a few birds, ducks and even a kingfisher eating small fishes, but as we went inside, our guide started looking more closely into the water. The first thing we saw was a mud crab and then a wolf crab. As we moved on, we were mesmerized by the vibrant colours of the pine corals, sponge water corals, moon corals and plant corals!
The Wolf Crab, with a wolf – like exterior!
Since the entire visit is done on foot, a knowledgeable guide is required to help locate the marine animals. As we walked further, we saw a Puffer fish which we even held in our hands! We even spotted a sea cucumber!
Sea Cucumber
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The highlight of this experience was witnessing an octopus which passed by us. After some time we saw 3 more octopuses and could even pick one of those for a few seconds! If lucky one can even spot sea turtles!
We held an Octopus!
Our visit to the island lasted for about 4 hours and including driving time it was a day well spent. It was a very enriching experience particularly for the kids. This marine park is worth a day’s visit and can even be clubbed with a trip to Dwarka and Somnath. In fact this is the only place in India where you can witness marine life so up close! We drove back to the hotel during the sunset and started for Dwarka the next day.
The Beautiful Lake!
In the evening we visited the Ranmal lake in the Jamnagar city centre, this place is very beautiful and serene, you can also visit the Swaminarayan Mandir on the same day and complete your Jamnagar trip. Overall 2 days are enough unless you want to go to the other Island too which will take one more day.
A few interesting facts about this place
1. The park is large and you can witness marine life with bare eyes
2. It is India’s first marine national park
3. You can witness variety of small marine life- Fish, birds, reptiles, mangroves which is colorful and interesting
4. It is a treasure trove of colorful hard and soft corals and sponges, giant sea anemone, jelly fish, sea horse, octopus, pearl oyster, Portuguese man of war, starfish too.
Important notes
1. Carry snacks and water as there is nothing other than a small Thela, which remains closed most of the time.
2. Wear shoes which can endure sharp small stones and sand
3. Apply Sunscreen on your feet and your face as the Sun is very harsh and strong.
4. Carry your mobile in a pouch and take care of slipping/falling due to uneven surface, water comes till about 1 feet.
