Top 10 Wild Water Marine Life Sanctuaries in India

Wildlife sanctuaries of India are protected areas created for the conservation of specifically named birds, wild animals or marine life. Most of the sanctuaries in India offers habitat for land mammals, here is the list of wild water sanctuaries in India protected for marine life.

Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary where Cauvery river passes through the dense forests on both banks. The sanctuary is home to mammals like tiger, elephant, leopard and habitat for various species of reptiles like the mugger crocodile, smooth coated otter and mahseer fish.

National Chambal Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

National Chambal Sanctuary is home to critically endangered gharial crocodile, endangered Ganges river dolphin and red crowned roof turtle.

The river Sanctuary famous for its pristine Chambal river, mazes of ravines and list of sandy river beaches.

Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the Nagarhole National Park, situated around the river Kabini and home to India’s lesser known Black panther, also known as Ghost of Kabini.

Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, Odisha

Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is a very popular tourist attraction of Odisha and largest nesting beach for Olive Ridley Turtles, also a world heritage site.

Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha

Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary at the the Brahmani and Baitarani river deltas is second largest mangrove ecosystem in India and home to the biggest population of salt water crocodiles in India.

The core area of the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary is declared as national park and Bhitarkanika Mangroves designated as Ramsar Wetland site.

Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh

Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary has second largest stretch of mangrove forest in India and part of the Godavari estuary. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of birds, healthy breeding population of smooth-coated otter, olive ridley sea turtles, saltwater crocodile and critically endangered white-backed vulture.

Haliday Island Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal

Haliday Island Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Sundarbans biosphere reserve and one of the lesser known Ecotourism destination in India. The sanctuary situated on the river Matla with the Sundarbans region and houses a large number of reptiles, aquatic animals and host critical habitats for endangered cetaceans.

Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary, Bihar

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bhagalpur is a protected area of 50km long stretch of the Ganges river and home to endangered Gangetic dolphins, National Aquatic Animal of India and other threatened aquatic wildlife.

Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat

Marine National Park at Gulf of Kutch is also a marine sanctuary (from Okha to Jodiya) surrounded by reefs around the islands on the Jamnagar coast. The fragile ecosystem of marine sanctuary is home to species of sea snakes, endangered species of sea turtles, humpback dolphins and larger whales.

Thekkady Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

Thekkady is a tourist place and part of the Periyar National Park, located near Thekkady and home to rare, endemic and endangered species of wild animals.

– Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Tamil Nadu

The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park is the core area of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve and has a high diversity of plants and marine animals. The coral reefs of Gulf of Mannar in India are one of the most ancient ecosystems that provide a sanctuary to a myriad of marine life.