Mangrove the Haven Beckons

As the name suggests, the river accommodates five small rivers, Souparnika, Varahi, Kedaka, Chakra and Kubja, along its flow. It is also said that Gangolli earned its name because of the presence of this river. This village has a rich variety of flora and fauna. Not only does it attract tourists because of its scenery, but also birds, which come here to feed on the fish from the river. So, if you’re a birdwatcher, photographer and a tourist then this is just the place to be in. 

Better to arrive early, before sunrise, you can see osprey, majestically flying at a low elevation along the river. It would just dip and pick its meal and move towards a fallen branch to savoir

A Kayak ride through serene mangrove forests is the new attraction for tourists visiting Kundapur in Udupi district — along with wildlife watching, recreational angling and trekking. The backwaters of the Panchagangavali River in Kodi, Kundapur, with a profusion of mangrove forests, have become an eco-tourism hotspot.  

The forest department took up the initiative to plant mangroves, and the last decade saw plantation areas in the backwaters increase by 450 hectares. The mangroves serve the twin objectives of protecting the it. 

Eco-tourism

Has been promoted by growing mangrove forests in other backwaters in the coastal region too. Ashish Reddy M V, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kundapur division, a passionate nature conservationist, told TNSE that the conservation and extension of mangrove forests was possible in the region due to the participation of locals as well. 

The mangroves of Paduvari in Byndoor taluk look spectacular when seen from the Ottinene area, appearing like floating islands of green. These evergreen forests also sequester a lot more carbon from the atmosphere than tropical forests, are salt-tolerant and check the salty wind blowing from the ocean, thereby saving crops and soil along the coast. 

The mangrove species in the region are Rhizophora mucronata, Avicenniaceae, Bruguiera, Sonneratiaceae Sonneratia, among others. Systematic afforestation by the forest department has led to an increase in mangroves over the past decade, providing ‘nursing homes’ for a variety of fish and bird species, Reddy added. Mangrove seedlings are planted when the water level goes down and sand dunes become visible during April and May.

FLOATING FORESTS

Seen in Kodi, Jalady, Anagalli, Uppinakudru, Paduvari, Koderi, Sasthana, Udyavara regions of Udupi district

Species
Rhizophora mucronata, Avicenniaceae, Bruguiera, Sonneratiaceae Sonneratia 

Birds 
White-bellied sea eagle, brown-headed gull, grey heron, white-breasted kingfisher 

Spread over 600 hectares