|
|
|
| Home
> Wildlife Sanctuaries in India
> Chilika |
Chilika |
1 2
3 4 5 |
|
|
Chilika Lake |
About 5,000 years ago, the land along the coast
of Southern Orissa parted inexplicably due to a fracture in
the rocks and the sea inundated the area to create the bay of
Chilika. Swarming with birdlife, thick with fish and dotted
with lush green wetlands along its shores, the Chilika Lake
seems like the vision of an artist from prehistory. In truth,
Chilika is one of Asia's largest lagoons. A calm and serene
lake in Orissa, it is the finest wetland on the Indian subcontinent,
which sustains over 25,000 small fishermen. The lake was declared
an international Ramsar Site in 1981, this makes it a wetland
of international importance. Chilika attracts a large number
of aquatic birds, the migrants among whom are the focus of an
intense on-going study. In the rains, the waters cover about
1,000 sq km and shrink to 750 sq km in the summer. But there
is a more tragic and permanent phenomenon of shrinking that
has already reduced the lake to half of its original size. The
estuarine wetland loses around 1.5 sq km annually on account
of the silt deposition resulting in a closure of the mouth to
the sea. At this rate, Chilika Lake will probably die a quiet,
gradual death in another 500 years.
More on Chilika
Chilika has marked seasonal fluctuations in temperature, salinity
and depth of water. The salt content, which is almost zero in
the monsoon, rises to a maximum of 36 ppt in the summer. The
temperature of the water can vary between 18 C in January to
27 C in May, with the level falling by an average of two cm
daily. As summer approaches, the fall can be as much as five
cm. At Gerasara in the south-eastern part of the lake, water
levels fall to a low of 15 cm at the peak of summer. Near the
Kalijai temple, the depth remains around 27.5 cm. The dry Nalbana
Island is inundated with around 18 cm of water during the monsoon
months.
|
|
Animals you will see |
| Aquatic fauna predominates. As many as 158 varieties
of marine creatures are found here including prawn, crab, mullet,
perch, threadfin and catfish.
Crabs, oyster, coelenterates and gastropods also form a substantial
population at the lake. A crowd of crustaceans at Chilika
makes these among the most abundant species at the lake. Zooplankton
is found at various depths, and a variety of amphibians inhabit
the area. A few species of lizards are resident in the area
as are skinks, the evolutionary link between lizards and snakes.
The estuarine sea snake, Asiatic file snake, beaked sea snake,
Javan wart snake, dog-faced water snake and smooth water snakes
form part of the snake population. Rat snakes, tree-living
cat snakes, bronzebacks and sand boas are the others in the
family.
Sea turtles nest on the sandy ridges, and insects hover about
their watery home. Crocodiles were also once reported in the
area, and mammals spotted in the lake include dolphins.
Spotted deer and blackbuck live on land in the surrounding
hills and forests. Jackals, hyena, the jungle cat and the
fox are also present. Feral cows and buffaloes graze in exposed
areas where there is not much forest cover. Blacknaped hare,
rats, squirrels and porcupines can also be seen. Bats, monkeys
and the common mongoose have all been recorded here, as also
an insectivore called the Pachyura.
|
|
Birdwatching |
Chilika is famous for its birds. As many as 151
species were counted at the lake, including 93 migratory species.
Some of these come from as far away as Ladakh, Tibet, Mongolia,
Mansarovar, the Caspian Sea, Siberia and Northern Asia. These
home in on the shallow waters around Nalbana, where they are
able to rest and feed.
Shovellers, Pintails, Tufted Pochards and Barheaded Geese are
also on Chilika's guest list. Brahminy Duck, Garganey, Redcrested
Pochards, Common Pochards, Pelicans, Pigeons, Dabchicks, Coots
and Gadwalls all cluster here in the cold winters.
Spotbill or Grey Duck, Lesser and Large flamingoes, Painted
Storks and Spoonbills are found here. Herons, Egrets, Kites,
Eagles and over 100,000 waders are seen around the lake.
Silent, brooding Cormorants execute superb dives to catch fish
and frogs. Pheasant-tailed Jacanas wander around in search of
food.
The White Stork, White Ibis and the White bellied Sea Eagle
provide the austere white against the tranquil background of
the lake.
Then there are the terns -- Little Tern, Gull billed Tern, Caspian
Tern. Other birds include Black winged Stilt, Little Egret,
Cattle Egret, Little Grebe, Peregrine Falcon, Pond Heron. The
Ringed Plover, the Eastern Skylark and the Small Indian Pranticole
round up the cosmopolitan character of the lake.
|
|
|
1 2
3 4 5 |
|
