One of the key things that many people seek during a vacation is to leave back the rush of the city life and feel one with nature. Sometimes on the beach or within the forest, one needs to get lost to find oneself again. Andaman offers an amazing slice of paradise for nature lovers. The archipelago is the exclusive home to thousands of endemic species that are found no where else in the world. In fact, the Zoological survey of India has documented 9130 species across the islands (both marine and terrestrial) of which 1032 species are found nowhere else on earth! With many sanctuaries dedicated to preserving and propagating indigenous wildlife, there is a lot you can experience here. If you are looking for a glimpse of natural wildlife in Andaman, here’s where you can go
1. Mahatma Gandhi marine national park
The MG national park area in Andaman covers 15 islands and 220 sq. Km of sea. It is home to colourful fishes, interesting marine life like turtles and starfishes and even salt water crocodiles. The two famous islands in the park are Jolly Buoy and Redskin. Both islands allow visitors to take up activities like snorkelling to view the underwater wonders. If you are patient (and lucky), you may also be able to spot the white-bellied sea eagle among other birds.
2. Mount Harriet national park
The best way to get the most out of Mount Harriet is to spend a day here. You can trek to the top of the mountain to get a spectacular view. The national park which is spread around 46.62 sq.km has tropical evergreen rainforests which are home to several endemic reptiles and amphibians.
3. Chidyatapu and Parrot Island
Chidyatapu (Bird lsland) isn’t too far from Port Blair and is a favourite island to enjoy spectacular sunsets. The island is home to many endemic species including the Andaman Green pigeon, which is also the State bird. Parrot Island is home to hundreds of birds belonging to this specie and is it is an amazing sight to watch them fly in and out during the evening.
4. Cuthbert Bay sanctuary
The middle Andaman islands is home to the Olive Ridley turtle who come here during nesting season. You can also spot Leather back and Green sea turtles here. You can get to see the actual nesting at Rangat.
5. Saddle Peak national park
Saddle peak isn’t generally on a regular hop-skip-jump tourist list which makes it a great place to visit if you want to do something different from the crowd. It is the highest peak in Andaman and you can observe several endemic species of plant and marine life around the islands.
Other than these, Andaman is also home to the endangered Dugong and amazing flora and fauna. It is up to us to preserve these for future generations.