Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Mangrove wetland in Odisha, India.

Bhitarkanika Mangroves cover 650 km2 in the deltas of the Brahmani and Baitarani Rivers in Odisha, India. A tidal waterway runs between banks of arching mangrove trunks and aerial roots that interlock overhead into a closed green tunnel, with no sky visible through the leaves. About 62 mangrove species grow here, including Avicennia, Bruguiera, Heritiera and Rhizophora.

The mangrove forest was privately owned until 1952, when the state took control and began formal protection efforts. Official recognition as a protected sanctuary in 1975 sealed its status as a managed conservation area.

Local fishing families have lived here for generations, relying on the mangroves in ways that keep the ecosystem in balance. You can see how their villages and daily work are woven into the landscape.

Entry points are reached through villages like Khola and Gupti, where permits can be obtained and boats arranged for exploring the waterways. Plan your visit around wildlife activity and wear appropriate gear for humid, wet conditions.

Bhitarkanika's saltwater crocodiles are counted each winter in a census that began in 1975, when the wildlife sanctuary was created; the counts have since recorded several hundred animals in the creeks. The species is the same one found in Australia's estuaries, and here it shares the waterways with king cobras, Indian pythons and water monitors.