Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park

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Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is located in Wandoor, 29 km from Port Blair. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

The Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park consists of 15 islands namely; Alexandra, Red Skin, Boat, Hobday, Tarmugli, Grub, Chester, Snob, Bell, Pluto, Malay, Jolly Boys, Riflemen, Twins and parts of Rutland Island and covers an area of 281.5 sq km. The Marine National Park is highly diversified in terms of white sandy beaches, vegetation, and marine life. You can spot a variety of coral reefs, colourful and exotic fishes, turtles, shells, molluscs, starfish and crocodiles.You can also see a variety of birds including White-Bellied Sea Eagle, Parakeets, Andaman Teal, Heron, Terns, Waders and Swifts in the tropical rainforests of the national park. The time required to spot the birds is usually longer and special permission can be obtained from the Chief Wildlife Warden of the forest department of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, under whose administration the park falls.

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park Gate

HistoryEdit

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, came into existence on 24th May 1983, under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The aim was to preserve the marine life such as corals and the nesting sea turtles common in the area.The Marine National Park was closed in 2004 due to the tsunami that struck and damaged the place but it was reopened to the tourists again. Jolly Boys and Red Skin Islands are two of the most popular islands of the Mahatma Gandhi National Park and the only islands that can be accessed by the tourists. There are various adventure sports like, deep-sea diving, snorkelling, and scuba diving organised for the tourists. Besides the adventure sports, sun bathing on the sandy beaches is another very popular tourist activity.

Must SeeEdit

Popular

Visiting TimeEdit

There are regular buses to and from Port Blair to Wandoor from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, and it’s a 45 minutes drive by bus or taxi. The entry timing for Jolly Boys is 9:00 am and entry in Red Skin Islands starts at 10:00 am. Tourists are only allowed to spend 2 ½ hours in both the islands.

Closed OnEdit

Mondays.

Best Season to VisitEdit

October – May

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning, Afternoon, Evening.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

2-3 Hour

Ticket Required : Yes Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : 50 per person. To enter the park, you need entry permit. The Forest Department permit costs Rs. 50 per person and is available at the counter on Wandoor jetty. Normally only 150 permits are issued each day on first come first serve basis, but in high season the number of permits are sometimes increased by Forest department.

Kids Rs. : 50 per person. To enter the park, you need entry permit. The Forest Department permit costs Rs. 50 per person and is available at the counter on Wandoor jetty. Normally only 150 permits are issued each day on first come first serve basis, but in high season the number of permits are sometimes increased by Forest department.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : 50 per person. To enter the park, you need entry permit. The Forest Department permit costs Rs. 50 per person and is available at the counter on Wandoor jetty. Normally only 150 permits are issued each day on first come first serve basis, but in high season the number of permits are sometimes increased by Forest department.

Kids Rs. : 50 per person. To enter the park, you need entry permit. The Forest Department permit costs Rs. 50 per person and is available at the counter on Wandoor jetty. Normally only 150 permits are issued each day on first come first serve basis, but in high season the number of permits are sometimes increased by Forest department.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : Rs. 25 Per Camera.

Video Camera Rs. : N.A

Boat Ride Ticket Rs. : Apart from the park permit, one needs ticket for the boat ride to Red skin island which is for Rs. 300/person and includes a small boat ride in glass bottom dingy, snorkelling and return.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : The major mode of transport is by roads and there are also the island water transport and sometimes air transport. A stretch of 240 kilometers between Port Blair and Maya Bunder is covered by bus transport. In between Port Blair and Maya Bunder two islands lie and the buses and passengers are ferried by boats. The islands that have to be crossed are Baratang and Kadamtala islands. Then a city called Rangat has to be crossed to reach the destiny. From Maya Bunder they have to change the buses to travel up to Kalighat, Diglipur which is the end point of Andaman.

Bus : Hundreds of buses run between Port Blair and south Andaman convenience of the passengers. Apart from the buses tourist taxis, maxi cabs and call taxis in the islands the bus service offered by the government are limited. Details on Intra island transport and shipping service, traffic contacts can be enquired with the director, shipping service, A $ N administrations, Phoenix Bay, Port Blair-744101. Phone: 232752/232742.

Train : Andaman doesn’t have railway station. Chennai Central (MAS) is a close railway station connected to Mumbai for being nearest to Andaman on rail route.

Air : To travel to the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, it is most convenient to avail the airport located at the capital city called Port Blair. From this place, one can easily travel to the important cities of mainland India like Chennai and Kolkata. Flights are operated regularly between Chennai, Kolkata and Port Blair. A few major airlines that operate such flights are Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Air Deccan.. Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair : 91 3192 235 619.

Others : By Ship
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands stand in the midst of the Bay of Bengal. Therefore, one should not miss the fascinating experience of reaching Andaman and Nicobar Islands by ship. Passenger ships connect Kolkata, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam, which are major cities of mainland India with Port Blair. These ships are available on a regular basis and help one to make a tour to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
On an average, in a month, 3 or 4 ships are available from Chennai and Kolkata to travel to Port Blair. From Vishakhapatnam, one ship is available per month to travel to Port Blair.
It takes around three days to reach Port Blair by sea. A ship generally halts for around 2 days at the seaport before leaving it to start a reverse journey, that is, from Port Blair to Kolkata, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam. The ferries can take up to five days to arrive depending on weather and various other variables.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands stand : 91-9933214071, 91- 9474286311.
Auto-rickshaws here at local places are the other mode of preferred transport as the rates are standardised. You can hire them either from the market area or flag them down on the main road

Things to CarryEdit

Packed lunches and water bottles.
However there are some small eating joints in Wandoor that offer limited options of eating.
But once you get to Jolly Boys or Red Skin Island, there will be nothing available, so it is a must to carry something to eat and drink.

Safety / WarningEdit

Beware of pickpockets as Andaman is a major tourist city in India.
Beware of fake items. Better to buy from reputable shops even though you have to pay more.
The general visitors permit you receive on arrival is good for here, but additional fees will apply when hiring a boat or arranging a dive trip since this is a National Park.
Plastic bottles and bags are not permitted in the park and one need to deposit money for each bottle carried. The security deposit is Rs. 100 for up to 3 bottles. On completion of the trip, you are expected to show the required number of bottles to the forest official to claim your deposit.
Jute bags are available in the forest office for hire.
Boat operators approved by forest department seems to be the only means to get around. One may explore hiring smaller dingies for moving around the park. Apart from boats in Wandoor jetty which take you in the park, local powered boats are also available at Wandoor beach which take you around for snorkelling in glass bottom boats.