Henry's Island

Henry's Island is a secluded coastal island near Bakkhali in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, located about 5 km from Bakkhali Beach. Managed by the West Bengal State Fisheries Development Corporation, it is known for its quiet sandy beach, dense mangrove forests, Sundari trees and brackish-water fisheries ponds. The island features a watchtower for panoramic views and offers birdwatching and tranquil nature experiences on the fringe of the Sundarbans ecosystem.

Visitors can expect a quiet, relatively undeveloped island with a long sandy beach backed by dense mangrove forest and Sundari trees. The area includes fisheries ponds and narrow earthen embankments, a watchtower for views over the forest and coastline, and open beach stretches for walking and photography. Facilities are basic, with a tourist accommodation complex operated by the fisheries department, and the environment is natural and tranquil with opportunities for birdwatching and nature walks.

The island is named after a 19th-century British surveyor named Henry who surveyed the area. In later decades it was developed by the West Bengal State Fisheries Development Corporation as a pisciculture project with numerous excavated ponds, and subsequently developed as an eco-tourism destination on the fringes of the Sundarbans.

The island reflects the coastal fishing culture and mangrove-dependent livelihoods of South 24 Parganas and forms part of the Sundarbans fringe ecosystem, showcasing the interaction between local fisheries and mangrove conservation.