Pitchavaram Mangrove Swamps, Tamilnadu

When you take the boat ride in the backwaters of Pitchavaram you will see mangroves like this.. and the sceney is like this around you. The water ride will be some 3 kms.. but the depth of the water is only 5 feet or so.. so you will see fishermen standing in the water and fishing.


Fantastic Ride!! The boat ride will take you to the beach at one end and drop you there and wait for you. When you walk across the beach to the sea side you will feel your feet feeling soft sand underneath. This beach is actually an Island I think.. On one side the sea water is coming into the backwater and the other side seems to be disconnected from the mainland.. since we came from mainland and this side of the beach seemed to join the piece of land across the water when we stood on the mainland while boarding the boat. Another thing I feel. It is that there is water deep under this sand beach.. or else why is it soft to walk? In fact this is evident from the impressions left behind on the sand by animal or man walking as you can see. No other beaches are like this.. During Tsunami this beach was under water but the mainland was protected by the mangroves swamps. There are fishermen living on this beach at one corner.. do not know what they do when Tsunami comes!!

We are reaching the beach (island). Here the waterway narrows and becomes very shallow.. the boatman has to push his way with the help of the oar.

The photo at above right is the beach showing the sea on the far side front.

A hole made by a Crab. Unfortunately could not see one! The greenery at the end is the tiny village where th fishermen live. The photo below on the left side shows some manmade canal to get water (for what? Growing plants? Some plants are seen- Succulents rather that you probably have in your flower pots in your houses. Here they are growing naturally.)