Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve

Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve is a protected area covering the southern reaches of Great Nicobar Island in the Indian Ocean. Tropical rainforest blankets much of the terrain, transitioning into mangrove stands and coastal marshes that edge toward shallow reefs lying just offshore.

Indian authorities established the reserve in 1989 to safeguard natural habitats and biodiversity across the Nicobar archipelago. The site gained international recognition as part of the UNESCO network and has since supported research into tropical ecosystems.

Indigenous Nicobarese and Shompen peoples maintain their traditional practices within the reserve, contributing to the sustainable management of natural resources.

Entry to the reserve requires official permission that travelers must obtain in advance from government agencies. Conditions between October and May tend to be drier with calmer seas, making the approach to the island more straightforward.

The reserve shelters the giant robber crab, a land-dwelling species that cracks coconuts and ranks as the largest terrestrial arthropod on Earth. Leatherback turtles return to these beaches each year to nest, while scrubfowl build mounds on the forest floor using volcanic heat to incubate their eggs.