Wildlife & Biodiversity

Where the Ghats meet the sea, life multiplies.

The Kundapura coast is a meeting of two of India's richest ecosystems: the estuarine wetlands of the Panchagangavalli and the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, one of the world's recognised biodiversity hotspots.

Coastal birdlifeCoastal birdlife
Estuaries and backwaters draw resident and migratory birds. (Indicative image.)

Estuaries and mangroves

The backwaters of the Panchagangavalli support patches of mangrove that act as nurseries for fish and prawns and as buffers against coastal erosion. These wetlands are vital to the local fishing economy.

Birdlife

The estuary and paddy wetlands attract a wide range of water birds — egrets, herons, kingfishers, terns and seasonal migratory waders — making the backwaters a quiet draw for birdwatchers, especially in the cooler months.

The Western Ghats

Inland, the forested slopes around Kodachadri and the Ghats behind Kollur form part of a globally important ecological corridor, home to rich flora, butterflies, reptiles and larger mammals deeper in the protected forests.

Marine life

Offshore waters yield the mackerel, sardine, seer fish (anjal) and prawns that define the region's cuisine, harvested from Gangolli harbour.

See also

References & notes

  1. Western Ghats biodiversity literature.
  2. Coastal wetland surveys, Karnataka.
Categories:GeographyNature