
Following
morning tea at 6AM, we visit Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower and
cruise through the creeks and around the cluster of island of
Sunderban Tiger Project Area. We will enjoy our breakfast on the
boat during cruise.
Afternoon, departure by boat to view the wildlife, the local
museum as well as game viewing from the watch tower. The
Sunderbans National park, located in the Eastern Indian state of
West Bengal, and bordering neighbouring Bangaldesh, is a vast
area covering 4264 square kms in India alone, making it the
largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. Sunderbans, is
a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a stretch of impenetrable
mangrove forest of great size and bio-diversity. The Sunderbans
parks are covered in mangrove forests of which there are three
main zones, classified by the level of salinity in the soil and
water. Fishing, timber extraction and honey collection are the
main human activities allowed within the Sunderbans. The four
Sunderbans national parks have been lumped together as they all
share common features of the estuarine mangrove ecosystem. The
main attraction of the Sunderbans is the Tiger, of which the
delta harbours the largest single population in the world,
estimated at about 300. The animals inhabiting this mangrove
wilderness have become adept at living a semi-aquatic lifestyle
and have also gained a reputation for aggression, attacking the
honey collectors and fisherman entering their domain. Despite
their relatively large numbers, the Sunderban Tigers are not
easy to find and mostly nocturnal in habits resting up during
the heat of the day. The mangroves also provide cover for large
reptiles such as the Monitor Lizard, Estuarine Crocodile and the
Olive Ridley Turtle, the latter the subject of a conservation
programme in the Indian park. Tiger sightings are rare, but
tourists to the Sunderbans get to see and experience a unique
and severely threatened aquatic habitat.
Return to the Camp in the evening. Tea & coffee as well as
snacks would be served. Later in the evening traditional dance
and music would be on offer.
Overnight at Sunderban Tiger Camp