A Kadalundi cruise through mangroves
A canoe cruise along the Kadalundi offers sights of the lush, green mangroves, rare birds and rural life
The Kadalundi River flowing through the border of Kozhikode and Malappuram districts is famed for its small islands and green mangrove clusters. A canoe is operated by Island Tourism Kadalundi in the river. The notable islets in Kadalundi are Balatiruthi, C.P tiruthi and Cheriyatiruthi.
Green & Cool Cruise The three-hour canoe cruise starts at 7 am from Cheriyatiruthi. The weather was excellent and the breeze was gentle. The canoe moved very slowly against the waves passing several bridges and closely to the mangroves and its small creeks. Mangroves are a group of salt tolerant trees and shrubs seen in the coastal intertidal zone. One was able to touch the mangroves and to experience its beauty closely and click stunning pictures of the mangrove clusters at frequent intervals. Numerous creeks in the river provided an ideal opportunity to closely observe the mangrove clusters. Local people are engaged in fishing by using very small canoes. Flock of migratory birds and indigenous birds lik egrets, herons, cranes, kingfisher, cormorants, brahminy kites etc were spotted. Small houses of the villagers and coconut groves are the attractions of the islands.
On the way, are mangrove clusters in Balatiruthi which are amongst the largest mangrove covers in the area. C.P Tiruthi is one of the small islands I saw during the cruise. The cool Branthan mangrove (Kandal) variety is located closed to Kadalundi Rail Bridge. The movement of trains at frequent intervals along the bridge is breath-taking. Mussel farming and oyster cultivation are prominent in Kadalundi River.
Island Tourism Kadalundi The credit for launching such an innovative mangrovebased canoe tour should be given to Island Tourism Kadalundi run by Ambali Baburaj and his son Shamjith. The fish farm run by this group in Cheriyatiruthi has
karimeen, chempally, kalanji, njandu etc. In 201,6 Baburaj received Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Antodaya Krishi Puraskar for sustainable brackish water aquaculture practices as livelihood option. Canoe cruises of different durations are offered as per the requirements of the group. Sea food-based lunch and other entertainment programmes are provided along with the cruise.
The concept of eco-friendly mangrove cruise is effectively planned and implemented here facilitating views of mangrove clusters, island life, fishing practices, bridges, bird sanctuary and estuary. If you are a true lover of mangroves, Kadalundi is the best to engage in canoe cruise. Get ready to explore the beauty of mangroves and islands during this summer (The writer is a lecturer at the School of Tourism Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam)