Rani Jhansi Marine National Park

Rani Jhansi Marine National Park lies in Ritchie's Archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, roughly 30 km from Port Blair. Founded in 1996, it covers 256 square kilometres and takes its name from Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, who lived from 1828 to 1858.

Within its limits are coral reefs and stands of mangrove forest. The animal most associated with the park is a fruit-eating bat, which plays an outsized part in the local ecosystem: as it feeds, it pollinates plants and scatters their seeds, helping the vegetation of the islands spread.