Marine Sanctuary & Marine National Park

India’s first Marine National Park is spread over an area of nearly 458 sq.km, just 30 km. away from Jamnagar. Located on the southern shores of the Gulf of Kutch, this was established in the year 1982, under the Wildlife Protection Act. The landscape showcases varieties of coral reef ecosystem along with the mangrove plantation. One can see six species of mangrove in the Marine National Park of Gujarat. One can see Avicennia marina, Avicennia alba, Avicennia officianalis, Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops tagal, Aegiceros corniculata.
One of the largest herds of blackjacks grace the grasslands of Velavadar and till recently Gujarat was the place where flamingos nested in huge numbers.Dugong, a marine mammal which resembles a seal, along with the rare Borolo species have found home in the protected areas of the Marine National Park.
There are fishes to be seen which puff-up when threatened, octopuses that mimic the color and texture of the surroundings in the blink of an eyelid so as to vanish without a trace.