Sentinel island people11/18/2023 ![]() There is no fresh water on South Sentinel, so we had to be careful with our stocks. km.) and Mangrove Forest or Tidal Swamp Forest (approx. Forest types include Andamans Tropical Evergreen (approx. ![]() A magnificent sandy beach extends along its northwest coast and the rest of the island is canopied by dense forest trees, lianas and brambles. I saw that Davies and Altevogt were right when they were quoted as saying in the Directory of National Parks and Sanctuaries of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: “ It’s a flat coral island, where lagoons mark about half the length of the shore, the rest being rocky or sandy. Just over a six-hour boat ride from Port Blair, I was as close to paradise as I could ever hope to be. km.), uninhabited island in the Andaman archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. I could hardly believe I was here, on this small (1.61 sq. The cetacean must have stayed with us no more than a few minutes, but the memory of this beautiful creature of the oceans will stay with me forever.Ī bird’s eye view of South Sentinel and this ‘sea level’ image together display the island’s three different habitat types: offshore reefs, a fertile inter-tidal zone and dense island rainforests. The morning sunlight created abstract, dancing white patterns on its dark body. The graceful animal surfaced, dived, went to the right and surfaced again. In a fishing boat, you are so close to the dolphin that you can almost reach out and touch it! No amount of dolphin watching on television matches the experience of having one dive and swim right next to you. Patches of coral flashed by and colourful reef fish swam to and fro. Looking over, I could actually see the bottom of the ocean bed. The sea was calm and flat, almost glass-like. It was misty and we could just about see another fishing boat on the horizon. We had left for South Sentinel early that morning from Wandoor, near Port Blair. It is a mosaic of these upon which I base this account of a fragile paradise that continues to cry out for protection.Ī bird’s eye view of South Sentinel and this ‘sea level’ image together display the island’s three different habitat types: offshore reefs, a fertile inter-tidal zone and dense island rainforests. Some of my South Sentinel experiences I recorded in my diary, some I recorded as photographs and many remain as scattered memories. It is nearly three years now since that February night on South Sentinel Island, but I still recall my encounter with one of earth’s most ancient life forms vividly. Such was the silence and efficiency of the turtle that were it not for us, they might never have known that a green sea turtle had dug her nest only a few feet from where they slept. ![]() It was not until the next morning, when we informed them of the drama of the night before, that the others discovered what had happened. Assured that all was well, we moved our tarp to an adjacent spot and were asleep in no time at all.Ī brilliantly-coloured giant clam provides some idea of the fabled marine diversity of the Andaman Sea. ![]() She then moved a few metres ahead and settled down to dig her nest close to where the other members of our team were still fast asleep. I nudged Harry awake and together we quietly moved behind the turtle and gently pulled the tarp out from under her. At arm’s length from me, right on top of the tarp, was a huge, female green sea turtle Chelonia mydas, trying desperately to make her way across the tarp that was stuck in her flippers. A touch annoyed, I turned to investigate… and nearly jumped out of ‘bed’. This time the tarp jerked even harder under me. Everything seemed to be in place and I shut my weary eyes again. I turned to look at Harry, but he was fast asleep. Suddenly I felt a tug, like the weights had shifted and the wind was pulling at the tarp under us. It was our fifth day on the island and we were exhausted. Harry and I were fast asleep on the large blue tarpaulin sheet that we weighted down on the beach every night. Text and photographs by Pankaj Seksharia Encounters with a turtleĪ strong breeze was blowing in off the sea.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |