The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a
beautiful club of 572 emerald islands, only a few are inhabited while most
of them are untouched and unexplored to the world. Covering an area of 8,249
km, these islands is absolutely wonderful and beyond your imagination. Rich
marine life, enchanting bird species, reef, under sea wealth, every green
forests make you quite different experience of wildlife from all over the
country. The islands have 96 sanctuaries and 9 National parks.
Best Time :December to April
Wildlife Species in the Park
The
Islands is covered with a unique luxuriant evergreen tropical rain forest.
It has around 2200 varieties of plants, out of which 200 are considered as
endemic and 1300 do not occur in rest part of India. The southern part
contains on epiphytic vegetation, the middle one harbours mostly moist
deciduous forests while the Nicobar is blanketed with lush grasslands.
Almost 86.2% of the total land area is covered with diverse kind of
vegetation.
As far as mammal in Island is concerned, they are not here in large number.
Forest department has reported to have around 50 species of mammals in
Andaman & Nicobar. Some prominent mammals in the park include the sus
scrofa Andamanensis, S.S.nicobaricus, Andaman wild boar, feral elephants, 26
species of rodents and 14 species of bat .
The Islands has 270 species of birds including 14 species endemic birds.
The endemic birds are Andaman serpent-eagle, Andaman crake, brown coucal,
andaman scops-owl, narcondam hornbill, Andaman woodpecker, Andaman drongo,
Andaman treepie, Nicobar serpent-eagle, Nicobar sparrowhawk, Nicobar
parakeet, Nicobar bulbul, Nicobar scrubfowl, Andaman woodpigeon, Andaman
cuckoo-dove, Andaman hawk-owl and white-headed starling.
The island is solely known for having rich and diverse kind of marine life.
Out of 1000 marine life on the coral, 135 are of Andaman alone. As you
plunge into the water, you will have stunning the coral heads and the
amazing variety of fish. Some frequently found corals in the Island include
brain coral, finger coral, antler coral, plate coral, vase coral and leather
coral. And butterflies are one more spectacular feature of wildlife at the
Islands. It has 225 species of beautiful butterflies, out of which 10 are
considered endemic to the Islands.
What else to see and do?
- Attend the 'Wildlife Week' Celebration happening from 2 to 8
October. Dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of Indian Nation, this
event is an expression of our dedication to the conservation of
wildlife.
- Jollybuoy Island must be in the heart of itinerary. Because it
consist a sandy beach and is encircled by a reef. Walk enjoying the sea
flora with the tide of the sea.
- The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a paradise for adventure and
water sport lovers. Here, you can enjoy things like trekking, island
camping, snorkeling, scuba diving etc.
- Here, you can also visit the historical places like cellular Jail
and Vipar Island. These monuments stand as specimen of what Indian paid
for freedom from British Empire.
Travel (Air/Rail/Road) Information There is a domestic
airport at Port Blair offering regular services to Calcutta and Chennai. You
can also access the islands by passenger ship services regularly available
from Chennai, Calcutta and Vishkhapatnam. It normally takes 50 to 60 hours
to reach the islands. From Prot Blair, you can reach to the park by bus.
Local fishermen operate motorized canoes reaching with you to the less
frequented areas. Forest department runs launch services inside the park.
Wildlife Lodges/Resorts
There are plenty of option available at Port Blair in Union Territory of
Andaman & Nicobar. It is located around 30 km from the park. You can
also find some good lodges and resorts available inside the nation park.
- Bay Island
- Peerless Resort
- Hotel Sinclair's Bay View
- Fortune Resort Bay Resort
- Wild Orchid
