CHRIST COLLEGE, Rajkot has organised a one-day study tour for third year Botany students to visit Narara- Marine National Park which is situated at Devbhumi Dwarka District, Jamnagar Gujarat. The entire trip was organised under the circumference of Dr. Jignasa Joshi who is working as Assit. Professor at Biology Department, Christ college, Rajkot, Gujarat. I am Dr. Aarti Kavane, also a member of this trip as I am Botany Teacher of these students.

Our group included only ten members (Two teachers, seven students and one driver) and we started our journey from the campus of Christ college, Rajkot in the morning on Monday 28^th February 2022. We took our lunch at noon (almost at 12 o’clock) in Hotel Highway-Hari on the way toward Narara. We reached at Marine national park, Narara almost at 2.20 pm. As Dr. Jignasa Madam has already taken the permission from the national park Department and also we are the students group, we received discount in visiting charge of the park.

Narara is about 145 km away from the Rajkot district. We hired a vehicle (Ecco-suzuki) so we can reach at Narara without any trouble. Dr. Jignasa has already confirmed the timing period of low tide so we can walk on the sea bed easily.

When we entered into the Park, there was the Marine Interpretation center. It is one kind of museum in which there was depth information about the sea animals and plants explained in form of charts, pictures and samples those could be seen in the sea.

After that we started to walk towards the sea, there was a dense population of mangroves on both the side of raod. We also seen the Salvadora species.

Sea Bed walking

As we reached to sea bed after a walking about 1 to 1.5 km from the Marine Interpretation center, we all got happy to see the beauty of nature. As there is low tide, it was comfortable to us to walk slowly on the sea bed. we hired a guide who was expert in searching and catching the sea animals like Octopus, Fish, Crab, Marine algae in his hands. And thereby he satisfied our hunger to see the sea species.

we are all eager to enter into the sea. As we have move forward, we were meeting the marine species. The student were happy to catch the marine fish and enjoying to pick up in their hands.

we have seen the octopus moving here and their with its tentacles.

Crab

Puffer fish:

Puffer fish have ability to expand themselves for several times from their normal size by swallowing water or air when threatened

Returning from the Narara beech

We were all happy by enjoying the whole day with the Marine life. We returned home by approximate 6.30 pm onward. By taking melodious memories in our brain about the marine plants and animals.

Acknowledgement:

This study tour for Narara-Marine National park, Jamnagar was supported by the CHRIST COLLEGE, Rajkot. We (Students and Teachers) thank to Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Jomon Thommana , Director, Christ College, Rajkot and Dr. Yvonne Fernandes, Principal, Christ College, Rajkot. for granting the permission for visiting this Marine National Park, Narara .

REFERNCES:

• https://devbhumidwarka.nic.in/tourist-place/narara-island/