Marine National Park is the first marine park of
India. It is situated in the Gulf of Kutch, which falls under the
Junagadh District of Gujarat. It was established in the year 1982 and
covers an area of 162.89 sq. km. There is an archipelago of 42 islands
in the Gulf of Kutch which comes under the protected area. Marine
Wildlife Sanctuary showcases the marine life of India at its best. The
underwater flora and fauna of the place is completely awesome. The
crystal clear water provides a dazzling site of the under water world.
The park is also quite famous for its Mangroves and coral reefs.
Infact, the coral reefs of the region are the most beautiful amongst
the ones found in the entire country. There are around 37 species of
hard & soft corals, 70 species of sponges, 150-200 species of fishes
and 27 species of prawns in the Marine National Park. Apart from this,
the park is home to a number of sea creatures like sponges, turtles,
snakes, water birds, sea mammals, algae and molluscs. It is for this
reason that it has been included amongst the important national parks of
the world by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN).
There is a remarkable growth of Mangroves in the area where the Marine
Wildlife Sanctuary is situated. It has the ability to grow in the saline
water area, where other trees do not survive. These are home for many
marine creatures and coral reefs. There are some species of the
Mangroves which can grow on the muddy marshes. These provide shelter to
the water and shore birds. It also helps in checking soil erosion. The
major flora of the park constitutes Mangroves, Saag, Sesam, Kheru,
Limda, etc. The major fauna are Coral Lichen, Coral spOnge, Green
Sponge, Puffer Fish, Turtles, Dolphins, etc.
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