We putter down the river, the famed Bhitarkanika that lends its name to the national park. The water is murky under the hot sun, swirling occasionally as fish disturb the surface. An estuarine crocodile suddenly surfaces, its tail acting as a rudder steering it towards the shore. As our boat draws parallel, the crocodile sinks,…
A sea of green broad leaves. Pale purple flowers pop up on occasion. A pond heron stands perfectly still on this mat of greenery. The blue waters are barely visible. Water hyacinth. It grows voraciously, swallowing the river, clogging the channel, and tangling in the boat's propeller. Purple swamphens peck about on the wet meadows…
The waves roll and rush around us, silvery-grey, tipped in gold. The lagoon is tumultuous, the skies cloudy enough to bear the promise of rain later in the day. On the boat, we are blissfully enraptured by the water surrounding us. I try to catch a wave with my toe and fail; the boatman calls…
On Life and Wildlife 