Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch

This protected stretch of the southern Gulf of Kutch in Devbhumi Dwarka district was declared a marine sanctuary of 270 square kilometres between Okha and Jodiya in 1980, and a core of 110 square kilometres became a national park in 1982. It takes in 42 islands off the Jamnagar coast, most fringed by reefs, of which Pirotan is the best known. Coral reefs and mangroves are the two ecosystems it protects.

The reefs hold around 40 kinds of hard coral, 10 soft corals and 40 sponges, along with sea anemones, octopus, starfish, sea cucumbers, pearl oysters, crabs and prawns. Sea horses, puffer fish, rays, green turtles, olive ridleys, dugongs and several dolphin species have been recorded. On shore, a greater flamingo colony can reach some 20,000 nests, and crab plovers, oystercatchers, egrets and terns are also recorded.