Spanning across an area of 10,000 square kilometres, the Sundarbans have a place in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. This stunning mangrove forest has a natural treasure of lush green landscapes perfectly intertwined with the calmly gushing waterways. It is a true haven for wildlife lovers.
Sundarbans lies at the mouths of the rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra, which separate India from Bangladesh and the boundaries of the Bay of Bengal. Approximately 40% of this forest is in India, while the rest is in Bangladesh. On the Indian side, there are around 102 islands within the Sundarbans.
Bengal locals call it the ‘Sundarbans’, which means ‘beautiful forest.’ The swampy forest is one of the largest forests in India, homing to some of the rare breeds of the Royal Bengal Tigers. In this guide, you will explore the location, wildlife, and significance of the Sundarbans, providing a complete understanding of this unique and beautiful region.
Where is the Sundarbans Located?
Sundarbans is located in Bangladesh’s south-west region. It has the river Baleshwar to its east and the Harinbanga to its west. The specificity of its geographical location is that it is a delta formed by the rivers Brahmaputra, Ganges, and Meghana.
Sundarban Forest in India intersects a complex network of mudflats, tidal waterways, and small islands containing mangrove forests. It represents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is quite popular for its wide array of fauna, including 260 species of birds and the mighty Royal Bengal Tiger. The Sundarban Delta is also home to threatened species of estuarine crocodiles and Indian pythons.
Let’s now try to understand what the Sundarban looks like.
Understanding the Sundarban Forest Map
The Sundarban Forest is a labyrinth of rivers, islands and estuaries, forming one of the world’s largest and most unique deltas. You won’t find a perfect Sundarban map that lays out this complex region but having an idea of the key areas will help you appreciate it.
At the heart of this region is the Sundarbans National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around it is the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, home to the world’s largest mangrove forest. These mangroves are not just beautiful – they act as natural shields against storms and a haven for incredible wildlife, including the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger.
The Sundarbans have over 100 islands connected by a network of waterways. These rivers and creeks don’t just shape the land they also sustain the 4.5 million people who live here. At night, some of these waters even light up with the magical glow of bioluminescence.
This region is of immense strategic importance for both India and Bangladesh. It’s recognized by WWF-India as one of the world’s most unique ecosystems, but it’s also fragile, constantly facing challenges from climate change and human activity. Exploring the Sundarban Forest is not about following a map. It’s about understanding the stories hidden in the mangroves, rivers and islands and why this incredible region matters so much to the people and wildlife that live here.
Exploring the Sundarban National Park Through Photos
Exploring Sundarban National Park is truly a delight for wildlife lovers. It is an unrivalled beauty and presents a lot of picture-perfect moments and Sundarban Forest Photos that you can capture through your camera’s lens. Here are some scenic spots to capture as you embark on your Sundarban tour.
Mangroves
Enjoy your mangrove tour via Sundarbans boat ride. Many tourists have acknowledged boating as one of the most popular ways of exploring Sundarban mangrove cover. An early morning ride is favourable for capturing splendid and eye-captivating moments of birds and animals.
Marichjhanpi
This spot in Sundarban is quite popular for its mangrove clusters. These island atrocities were once featured in the Bengali movie from 2020.
Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary
Sundarban National Park offers plenty of opportunities for avid bird watchers to capture images with their DSLRs. Several bird species hover here and there across the lush greenery. Some special ones that can be spotted here include open-billed storks, kingfishers, paradise flycatchers, and the rarest one, the Asian Dowitcher.
Ghoramara Island
Acknowledged as one of the tiny islands in the Sundarbans, Ghoramara Island is situated 92 km from Kolkata. It has been a victim of several issues, such as soil erosion, global warming, and the ever-increasing water levels of the Bay of Bengal.
Watch Towers
There are quite a few watch towers built across the Sundarban National Park. like Sajnekhali watch tower, Sudhannya khali watch tower, Do-Banki watch tower, Burirdabri watch tower These are ideal for enjoying panoramic vistas of the vastly stretched forest belt and capturing some stunning Sundarban National Park pictures.
However, only boat safaris are available inside the Sundarban National Park. To embark on your safari journey, start early, as the safari starts sharp at 8:30 a.m. and continues until 4:00 p.m. After 6:30 p.m., boating is prohibited.
What is the Total Area of the Sundarbans?
The Sundarbans is India’s largest forest, encompassing around 10,277 square kilometres or 3,968 square miles. Bangladesh has around 6,017 square kilometres of Sundarban area. Furthermore, around 4,260 square kilometres of the Sundarban area forms a part of West Bengal’s presidency division.
The Sundarbans mangrove ecoregion forms a seaward fringe of the delta and is globally acknowledged as the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem. The region is specifically dominated by Heritiera fomes, widely popular as sundri or Sundari. Sundarban Forest India epitomises the wilderness with its springs, rivers, estuaries, and creeks.
This largest forest in Indiacontributes significantly to land reclamation. It also protects its coastal habitats from the surges in the counts of tides and cyclones. Sundarbans have also shown promising contributions in uplifting the region’s coastal people’s socio-economic conditions. These communities derive their livelihood source from the forest produce
Famous Animals of the Sundarbans: Home of the Royal Bengal Tigers
TheRoyal Bengal Tiger is the prime attraction among Sundarban forest animals. This is India’s only mangrove delta homing to this rare tiger species. It is one of the key habitats for the wild, making up around half of the world’s wild tiger population. India and Bangladesh share the tiger habitat, with around 60% reserved for Bangladesh and 40% reserved for India. However, the number of tigers is relatively low, around 101 in India and 114 in Bangladesh.
Beyond the purview of the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Sundarban Forest is also popular for other species, such as predators like leopards, jungle cats, fishing cats, leopard cats, mugger crocodiles, and gharials. There are also reptiles in the Sundarbans. Some notable species are green vine snakes, olive ridley turtles, dog-faced snakes, green turtles, estuarine crocodiles, chameleons, mouse geckos, pythons, and sea snakes.
Sundarbans is a delightful haven for avid bird watchers. Over 200 bird species are found here, including brown-winged kingfishers, lesser adjutants, white-bellied sea eagles, grey-headed fish eagles, swamp partridges, open-billed storks, and many more. Silver carp, hermit crabs, starfish, fiddler crabs, common toads, sawfish, and butterfish are amongst the water species found here.
Project Tiger has been one of the key projects implemented here to protect and preserve the species of Royal Bengal Tigers. Though it was initially meant to provide protection and conservation for the Royal Bengal Tigers, today, it contributes to protecting the entire ecological reserve.
Sundarban is not just an ecological reserve, it also contributes significantly to protecting the coastal belt against storms and floods. Let’s see how in the next section.
How the Sundarbans Protect Against Storms and Floods
Sundarban Forest is nature’s disaster-prevention system. The swampy forest has many river systems and creeks across its vast stretch. It is home to the world’s most extensive mangrove cover, situated along the coastal belt of the Bay of Bengal.
The mangrove cover of the Sundarbanforest decreases the impacts of waves, storms, and high wind currents. This cover lowers the wind capacity for exhausting sediments and minimises the damage incurred by removing the tree cover.
The mangroves are known for their deep percolating roots, which trap sediments as they penetrate deep down towards the river and along the coasts. This process aids in stabilising the coastal belt and prevents soil erosion caused by storms and waves. The woods of the mangroves help protect coral reefs and seagrass meadows.
Sundarban Delta helps curb the impacts of rising global warming concerns. It absorbs carbon dioxide from the surrounding atmosphere, storing it mostly in its woods. When mangroves die, their roots and branches mix with the soil. Later, the delta immerses itself into deep water waves. This process helps slow down the decomposition process, increasing carbon storage levels.
Closing Thoughts: The Need to Protect the Sundarbans
The UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sundarbans, is more than just a natural wonder. It is where the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Meghna rivers meet. It is home to the largest forest in India made up of a complex mangrove ecosystem. This vast delta supports incredible biodiversity and acts as a shield to the coastal communities from cyclones, tidal surges and other natural disasters.
Sundarban Forest India is a treasure trove of life where you can find the iconic Royal Bengal Tiger and many other species of mammals, birds and marine life. It is one of the last bastions of biodiversity in a world facing ecological challenges. This dynamic landscape is a rare example of land, water and wildlife in harmony but is fragile and under threat from climate change, deforestation and habitat loss.
Besides its ecological importance, Sundarbans is synonymous with the lives of 4.5 million people who depend on it for survival. It provides food security, livelihoods and cultural heritage to the local communities. Protecting Sundarbans means protecting not just the wildlife but also the people and traditions that exist within this ecosystem.
Sustainable tourism can play a big role in conservation by raising awareness and deepening our connection to this place. But conservation of the Sundarbans goes beyond tourism – supporting conservation programmes, reducing human impact and addressing climate challenges are all important. After all, Sundarban is not just a regional treasure – it’s a global responsibility.