Marine National Park and Sanctuary

Marine National Park and Sanctuary is India's first marine protected area located in the Gulf of Kutch off Jamnagar district, Gujarat. Notified as Sanctuary in 1980 and National Park in 1982, it covers about 457.92 sq km of sanctuary and 162.89 sq km of national park across 42 islands. Notable for coral reefs, mangroves, mudflats and intertidal ecosystems, it supports diverse marine life including corals, sponges, octopus, dolphins, sea turtles and migratory birds.

Visitors can expect a guided intertidal reef walk during low tide rather than a conventional park visit. Access is from Narara and requires prior forest permission and a boat to islands such as Pirotan. The landscape consists of exposed coral reefs, sandy and muddy flats, mangroves and shallow pools with visible marine life like crabs, sea anemones, starfish, octopus and puffer fish. There are no permanent tourist structures on the islands; exploration is on foot with a forest guide and is strictly tide-dependent.

Notified as Marine Sanctuary in 1980 and as Marine National Park in 1982 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it is the first marine national park declared in India. Established to protect coral reefs, mangroves and marine biodiversity of the Gulf of Kutch, it comprises 42 islands with 33 islands forming the national park core.