Chandipur Beach

Chandipur sits on a very shallow shelving coast, and the tidal range combined with that gradient means the water retreats an unusual distance at low tide, commonly quoted at up to five kilometres, exposing a vast flat of sand and mud that can be walked out onto before the sea returns across it. The flats hold red crabs, horseshoe crabs, which are locally abundant and biologically ancient, and shellfish, and fishing communities work them at low water. A missile testing range operates nearby, so parts of the shore are periodically closed and photography restricted.

What you actually see

• The retreating sea - water withdrawing kilometres across the flats.
• The exposed flats - sand and mud walked out onto at low tide.
• The horseshoe crabs - ancient arthropods abundant on this coast.
• The returning tide - the sea coming back across the same ground.

When to go

October to March; tide tables determine everything, and the walk out should only be done on a falling tide with the return time known. Cyclone season runs October to December.

Honest expectations

The returning tide moves fast over flat ground and people have been caught out; walking far without knowing the timing is dangerous. The nearby missile range closes the shore periodically. Facilities are basic.

Nearby

Balasore lies inland; Simlipal is west.