India 2016 (Odisha) - Chilika Lake
Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon southwest of Bhubaneshwar. It is the largest lagoon in India with two narrow channels connecting it to the Bay of Bengal. During monsoon the lagoon covers about 1200km^2 and in summer 900km^2. It is not only extremely rich in fish but also temporal home to a huge number of migratory birds. Another highlight is a population of about 150 Irrawaddy Dolphins.
Satapada
One of the best places to stay at chilika lake - in fact the only place with decent accomodation - is the small village of Satapada. At the east side of the lagoon 60km south of Puri it is a perfect spot to go for dolphin watching and to explore the lagoon by boat. There used to be a ferry connection to the west coast of the lagoon, but in 2016 it was out of service.
Mangalajodi
Where Satapada is the best place for dolphin watching, Mangalajodi is the place to go for migratory birds.
In the past the communities around that village used to hunt and kill the birds. But in recent years the people realized the worth of the birds as a tourist attraction. Today eco tourism prevails. The hunters of the past were trained as scouts and guide the tourists on boat trips in this area of the lagoon - an example of effective and successful protection of the environment.
