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Enchanting Archipelago
Tranquil lagoons in coral confines, aquamarine waters lapping white sandy shores, a plethora of marine animals in an exuberant burst of colours.
Lakshadweep, the coral islands are most definitely a paradise on earth – incomparable in beauty and solitude.
Some 300 kilometres off the coast of Kerala, Lakshadweep (literally a thousand islands) is a group of 12 atolls and 36 islands. Most of these islands are long and irregular with a lagoon enclosed by a coral reef. These lagoons abound in spectacular coral growth which in turn sports a diverse array of marine life.
Numerous scuttling, creeping, burrowing worms, molluscs and crustaceans; brilliant, darting fish; colourful anemones and the five armed star fish and the interlinked, carnivorous, tentacled polyps covering the skeleton that forms the coral – all this in water not more than two or three meters deep!
Most of the islands are lush green with coconut groves and a select few shrubs and trees that can derive nutrients from the calcareous soil. Some islands like Pitti don’t sport even a blade of grass!
To ensure that the environment is not ecologically damaged, only a few islands are open for tourism.
A semi-government undertaking called The Society For Promotion Of Recreational Tourism or SPORTS, runs and co-ordinates various tourism related activities.
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