Pirotan Island- Worth a visit

Pirotan Island is an exotic place for nature lovers and marine obsessed folks. Our of the 42 islands Pirotan island is the most popular island and is one of the two islands that is permitted for the visitors, other being the Narala island. Pirotan Island covers an area of 3 square kilometres and this beautiful island is one of forty-two islands in the marine park area, nuzzled within the locality of the Marine National Park in the Jamnagar district on the western coast of Gujarat.
Unquestionably the stellar lure of the vast park, it is peppered with coral reefs, a wide variety of birds, mangrove vegetation and low tide beaches. The excess of biodiversity of both flora and fauna is just astounding, and not to forget the marine life. The blessed shrine of saint Khwaja Khijer Rahmathullahalaih is situated on the island near the age-old lighthouse. Pirotan Island is located at about 20 kilometres from the mainland, the adjoining port being Bedi harbour.

The derivation of the name

It is believed that the island was formerly known as ‘Pir Jo Thaan’, mentioning to the residence of the late saint, Khwaja Khijer Rahmathullahalaih. Another bunch says the name is derived from Pirotan Patan, an ancient city near Bedi Bandar. In 1867, a flagpole was placed in the northern tip of the island to help navigate the area, later it was replaced. The place has gained admiration since it was established as the nation’s first marine national park in the year 1982.

When to Visit
You can visit Pirotan Island any time of the year although the months from November to February are preferred due to the still weather. It can get quite humid and hot during the summer seasons. Equipped with a little information, you can devote hours walking everywhere at low tide, perceiving the attractive marine life as it lies bare and visible from the ebbing waters. You will observe that some of the creatures like jellyfish are completely untouched which is a view to behold. Also, make sure to ask the officers of the park for the things to be avoided but make sure to have hands-on involvement with the creatures that are open to it.

As mentioned above, it is always sensible to ask about for the tide timings to make sure about the availability of the transportation. Pirotan Island is the best marine park that is opened for visitors and it is the view not to be missed when in Gujarat.

This post is written as a part of #blogchatter AtoZ challenge. For other posts on Charismatic Gujarat, please visit www.explorenbite.com

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