Sunderbans National Park has been on my bucket list for a while. Finally this March 2023 destiny enabled me to visit the mystical place after multiple failed attempts during Covid. Its a UNESCO World Heritage Site but under threat from both natural and human-made causes. The forest is also suffering from increased salinity due to rising sea levels due to climate change and reduced freshwater supply.
Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. Sundarban Reserve Forest (SRF) of Bangladesh is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It spans the area from the Baleswar River in Bangladesh‘s division of Khulna to the Hooghly River in India‘s state of West Bengal.
The Sundarbans mangrove forest covers an area of about 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi), of which forests in Bangladesh’s Khulna Division extend over 6,517 km2 (2,516 sq mi) and in West Bengal, they extend over 3,483 km2 (1,345 sq mi) across the South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts.
Reaching this place is not easy. Its a 3-4 hours drive from Kolkata and then its 1-2 hours boat ride either to your resort island or to enter the National park area. Drive from Kolkata is scenic and beautiful. Boat ride takes you into a different world. Boat Safaris are full day and you leave your resort by 6 am and usually it’s an hour ride to entrance of National park. You will have to leave the National park before dark. So by the time you reach resort it will be 6 to 6.30 pm. Breakfast , lunch and high tea is prepared on the boat and its an experience to enjoy them while sailing across Sunderbans. Boats are not allowed to travel at more then the speed of 8 km/hr so its a super leisurely affair.
I went there to spot the elusive tigers of Sunderbans who are integral part of Sunderbans folklore. 5 days we tried to track them but they were determined not to show up except for excitement through there pug marks.
Though we never saw a tiger but the whole experience was magical. It’s surreal the whole boat safari and the landscape. You fall in love 🥰 with the magical place. You can spot lot of birds of prey, kingfishers, crocodiles, water monitor lizards and deers. Its a tough terrain for mammals due to lack of food and rough vegetation. Flora and fauna has adopted to salt water so they are able survive.
You love or hate this place. These mangroves are the safeguards of nearby villages and Kolkata. Climate change is expected to continue to negatively affect both natural systems and human populations in the region, resulting in further ecosystem degradation and climate migration. Hope to return here and try my luck again to spot the majestic and mysterious Royal Bengal Tigers of Sunderbans and to enjoy the boat safari and tasty food prepared on the boats.
Life here is tough for humans and animals as nature is quite rough. It’s beautiful and at the same time cruel. Flora and fauna here have adapted to the harsh conditions beautifully and teach us resilience.
NVS|World 
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