Adam's Bridge Marine National Park, Marine national park in Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Adam's Bridge Marine National Park is a protected marine area that extends across shallow sandbars and forms a natural land spit between two islands. The reserve covers a large water area with varying depths across the seafloor.
In October 2014 an Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Northern Province, prepared with UNDP and UNEP support, recommended an 18,990 ha national park on the Sri Lankan section of Adam's Bridge. In May 2015 the government named it among four new northern parks, and it was gazetted on 22 June 2015. The Indian section lies within the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.
The name Adam's Bridge links the shoal to the Ramayana: in Tamil it is called Irāmar Pālam, Rama's Bridge, and the Sinhala name refers to Adam. The chain is a stop on the Pamban Island–Adam's Bridge–Mannar Island flyway used by migratory birds crossing to and from Sri Lanka.
The park lies about 30 km north-west of Mannar, and the Sri Lankan section of Adam's Bridge is reached by boat from the Mannar area; the shallow waters and sand dunes are best visited with a local guide. The Indian section of the bridge belongs to the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.
The sand dunes of Adam's Bridge serve as breeding grounds for the brown noddy, a seabird that nests on the sandbars. Many migratory birds follow the Pamban Island–Adam's Bridge–Mannar Island route when flying to and from Sri Lanka.
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