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News From The Jungle |
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Marine
National Park,
Gulf of Kutch |
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This park is
situated on
the southern
shore of the
Gulf of
Kutch in the
Jamnagar of
Gujarat. It
was the
first
national
marine park
of India and
consists of
42 islands
most of them
surrounded
by reefs. It
has a
fragile
eco-system
and in
recent years
the
biodiversity
of the
Marine Park
has been
under threat
on several
levels
including
the
extraction
of corals
and sands by
cement
industries,
increased
turbidity of
water, oil
refineries,
chemical
industries
and
mechanized
fishing
boats. The
fauna found
here
include: 70
species of
sponges, 52
species of
corals, 27
species of
prawns, 30
species of
crabs,
lobsters,
shrimps and
other
crustaceans.
Endangered
sea turtles
such as
green sea
turtles,
Olive
Ridley’s and
Leatherbacks
are seen
here along
with Dugongs
and smaller
cetaceans
like Finless
Porpoises,
Common
Dolphins,
Bottlenose
Dolphins and
Indo-Pacific
Humpback
Dolphins.
Larger
whales such
as Blue
Whales, Sei
Whales are
also seen
here as well
as whale
sharks in
deeper
areas. |
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