Pulicat Lake Wetland Sanctuary – Nellore

About Pulicat Lake Wetland Sanctuary

Pulicat Lake Wet Land Sanctuary is a vast coastal shallow, brackish water lagoon along the coast of the Bay of Bengal in to which streams drain. Its length is about 70 km and its width varies from 1 km to 20 km. The lake has 16 island villages and 30 villages adjoining the lake. The people depend on the lake for their livelihood. The lake supports a colossal number of Flora and Fauna adapted to this brackish water ecosystem.

Flora: The green kingdom is represented with about 132 plant species like Walsura piscina; Manilkara Elengi, Excoecaria agalloch, Spinifex Littoreus, Calamus viminalis, etc.

Fauna: The Sanctuary is rich in invertebrate life including planktons, mollusks, insects, coelenterates, and crustaceans. Prawns and fishes are also abundant here. The fish fauna is incredible with over 60 species like Pomfret, Sablefish, Sargin fish, etc. Monitor lizard, Common Krait, etc; constitute the reptilian realm. The avian dominion is epitomized by 200 bird species like a Greater and Lesser flamingo, Garganey, Spot-billed duck, Besra sparrow hawk, Pied Avocet, Painted snipe, Grey plover, Marsh harrier, Rufous turtle dove, Brown-headed gull, Indian Great reed warbler, Blue chat, Yellow-throated sparrow, etc. Jackal, Jungle cat, Black napped hare; are a few of the mammalian species inhabiting the Sanctuary. Flamingoes About 15,000 flamingoes visit Pulicat each year.