Mangroves are species of shrub or tree that grows in saline or brackish water. While the mangroves are found across the coastal areas in India, few of these forests are prominent – Sundarbans in West Bengal, Bhitarkanika in Orissa and Andaman. Bhitarkanika National park is a mangrove wetland with a network of creeks with the Bay of Bengal. Some interesting aspects of Bhitarkanika are:
- It is home to a large number of saltwater crocodiles. The crocodile census in January 2022 put that number to 1,784. There is also a small number of albino estuarine crocodiles (white crocodiles).
- There are seven species of Kingfishers in Bhitarkanika. I am not aware of any other place having such a high density of Kingfisher species.
- Nearby, Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is the world’s largest nesting beach for Olive Ridley Turtles.
- Abdul Kalam island, closer to Bhitarkanika, serves as the test facility for most Indian missiles. Turtles get distracted by the bright lights on the island. During the nesting season, the bright lights of the island are masked!!
Our travel to Bhitarkanika
It was a long journey from Chilika lake to Bhitarkanika. We started after breakfast from Mangaljodi. At Bhubaneshwar, we went back to the restaurant to have the second round of breakfast!! We knew that there were no decent restaurants on the way. Why not overeat good food and stuff ourselves instead of starving or eating bad food?
Cuttack came after Bhubaneshwar. The long bridge across Mahanadi was a treat to drive. Reminded of crossing the Godavari bridge in Rajamundry, which is amazing at any moment of time. But Mahanadi was almost dry as the massive Hirakud dam sucked everything from that river.
The road after Cuttack was a single lane with rural surroundings. The landscape and culture changed as we entered Bhitarkanika. Tribal settlements started to appear. It provided us with opportunities to enjoy and take photographs of the landscape.
It was evening when we reached Dangmala Nature camp, maintained by Forest Department. We got decent rooms. The day-trippers had left, and the area looked peaceful.
Our activities in Bhitarkanika
We had two full days in Bhitarkanika. We spent most of our time outside, returning to the camp for food and rest.
Boat safari
We had two sessions each day – one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Our focus was on birds, and hence we had hired a birding guide. As mentioned before, Bhitarkanika is home to seven species of Kingfishers – White-breasted, Pied, Small, Stork-billed, Black-capped, Collared, and Brown winged kingfisher. While the first three species are commonly seen elsewhere, others are not. We saw all seven species during our safari. We saw Brown winged kingfisher even before we entered the boat, while Stork-billed showed its appearance only during the final minutes of our last safari!!
Apart from Kingfishers, there are many other species of birds. Many aquatic birds are widely seen. For me, species like Green billed Malkoha, striated heron, Black bittern, Whimbrel, Lesser Adjutant, Grey-headed woodpecker were lifers.
Of course, crocodiles are omnipresent. They are seen in different sizes and positions – floating, resting on the sand, relaxing on a tree trunk (especially hatchlings), with mouths wide open etc. We did not spot any white crocodiles.
The sunrise and sunset views from the boat were awesome. The weather was great during our time, and the views were magnificent.
Mangrove walk
Our stay was inside the forest area, and hence we could go on a walk inside the mangrove. It gave a different perspective of the mangrove forest. We could also view and photograph a few small birds, which is a difficult task on a boat.
Night walk
The area we stayed in was peaceful in the evenings and at night when day-trippers left the place. It was not possible to get into the forest, but we walked on the main path leading to the Jetty. Apart from enjoying the silence of the jungle, we also heard and spotted a few nocturnal creatures like owls.
Stay and Food
The main attraction of Bhitarkanika is the saltwater crocodiles and birds. The nature camp maintained by the forest department at Dangamal served that purpose very well. The only complaint was the food, which we consumed only to satisfy our hunger. But I saw many people enjoying the food. So, I can also say that the food was not palatable for our taste buds!!
Nearby Mangrove Pitta homestay looked good. The owner Bijay is a birding guide.
There is a nature camp at Gupti, but it is located away from the core area.
If your focus is to visit a beach, then Habalikhati Nature Camp would suit the need. As far as I know, reaching that place requires a boat ride of 3-4 hours and some amount of walking. So, plan accordingly!!
Information and Tips
- Bhitarkanika National park is about 152 km from Bhubaneshwar and takes about 3.5 – 4 hours of driving.
- You can either take a Government boat from Dangamal jetty or hire private ones at Khola, a few km before Dangamal.
- To watch crocodiles, you can hop onto any boat. But if your focus is birding, then hire a birding guide who will ensure a dedicated boat and knowledgeable boating crew.
- Bhitarkanika is beautiful. Do not try to rush. It is not a destination but an experience.
- Forest entry fees and camera fees are nominal. For people from Karnataka, it may be cheaper to fly to Orissa and spend some time in the forest rather than paying hefty fees to enter and photograph in Karnataka forest (pun intended)!!
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