KARWAR: Koormgad, a tiny island three km from Karwar port, is not only a tourist's paradise, but is home to a world of plants, birds, reptiles and insects.
The island was rediscovered by a team of journalists and environmental scientists who visited the island on Tuesday. It's only tourists and devotees who visit the island. An annual fair of Lord Narasimha, the island deity, is held here. But the island's rich biodiversity provides immense scope for research for biologists and botanists.
The island has been a haven for varieties of birds, including bulbul, sun bird, rock pigeon, sea gulls and brahmi kites. Gangadhar Kallur, an environmental scientist, said that a sea gull's permanent nest on a huge tree could be at least forty years old. It indicates that this bird is endemic to Koormgad Island, he said.
Interestingly, the world's smallest snake, the worm snake, 2.5 cm long, and the 10ftlong rat snake can be seen on the island. It is a wonder how a rat snake landed on the island, Kallur said.
The island's varieties of wild flowers of different hues, shapes and sizes are a major attraction for tourists. Wild vegetables including brinjal, ladies finger, bitter gourd and beans, besides wild bananas, are also found in plenty on the island. Creepers of different varieties forming a web speak for the islands's wilderness.
The sea around is rich in marine life. It is interesting to watch dolphins moving around in an orderly manner while a fish, almost walking on its fins for a distance, vanishes into the deep sea. Though surrounded by sea, there are sources of fresh water on the island. Thus, the island provides immense scope for researchers.
For tourists, the voyage is part of the experience. They generally start early in the morning on private boats from Karwar port and enjoy the cool weather and calm sea near the shore.