Pichavaram

Pichavaram in Chidambaram is known for its mangrove forest. It is one of the world’s largest mangrove jungles. The place comprises of islands, water, and green trees. The total territory is estimated to be around 1100 hectare. The Mangrove forest is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a lengthy sandbank. The island has an immense collection of rare shell and fin-fishes. The mangrove forest is also rich in terms of the migrant birds. To count are 50 islands of various sizes and 4,400 big and small canals. What else a nature lover can ask for? Ocean till sky, with all rare findings, clubbed at a single place. The specific attraction of the mangrove forest is the Avicennia and Rhizophora, which resides here only because of the exclusive geography and ecological condition. Other flying creatures to notice are kills, cormorants, egrets, storks, herons, spoonbills, and pelicans. On records, there are 200 species of birds. The varieties and the number of seaweed, fish, prawns, crabs, oysters, turtles, and otters are countless. The forest as a whole has more than 20 varieties of trees. Apart from the tourists, the place attracts the students and scientists from across the country to study the mangrove forest and its incredible biodiversity. The forest saw a devastating calamity, a cyclone in the year 2004, that has proven bad for the forest and it lost its original grace.