Chilika Lake

Chilika is a huge brackish lagoon on the Odisha coast, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a long sandbar and connected to it by a shifting mouth, which leaves its water nearly fresh at one end and close to marine at the other. The shallow expanse draws enormous numbers of wintering birds, and the sanctuary island of Nalabana fills with flamingo, pelican, waders and ducks from November onward. At the seaward end near Satapada a small resident group of Irrawaddy dolphins surfaces in the channel. Fishing villages ring the shore and work the lagoon with stake nets and small boats, and the water is dotted with prawn enclosures.

History

Geological evidence shows that Chilika was part of the Bay of Bengal in the later Pleistocene. Excavations at Golabai Sasan, north of the lake, reveal Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Iron Age phases from about 1600 to 800 BCE, ancient texts describe the southern part of the lagoon as a major harbour when Kharavela, king of Kalinga, was known as "Lord of the Sea", and in 1981 it became one of the first two Ramsar sites in India (Wikipedia, Chilika Lake).

What's there

• Wintering birds at Nalabana - flamingo, pelican and waders on the sanctuary island.
• Irrawaddy dolphins - the small resident group near the sea mouth at Satapada.
• The sandbar and lagoon mouth - the narrow strip separating brackish water from the bay.
• Stake-net fishing - village boats and fixed nets working the shallows.

When to go

November to February is the season: cool weather and the peak of bird migration, with Nalabana at its fullest in December and January. Boats leave early, and the first trips of the morning have the calmest water and the best light. Summer is hot and hazy with few birds, and the monsoon brings rough water and reduced boat services.

Things to know

Dolphin trips are the main sales pitch and are often disappointing: boats chase distant fins, several crowd the same animal, and the sighting amounts to a brief glimpse of a back. Operators quote steeply and haggling is expected. Nalabana needs a long ride and binoculars to be worthwhile, and outside winter the lagoon is a flat grey sheet with little to see.

Nearby

The temple town of Puri and the sun temple at Konark are within a couple of hours.

Key facts