Wetland Wandering

Beyond Goa’s beach shacks is an untapped trail of mangroves that would thrill any adventure enthusiast seeking an adrenaline rush in the country.

- Nolan Lewis

IT’S THE middle of a balmy afternoon in Goa; I can feel a gentle breeze cooling off the trail of sweat trickling down my back. I’m working my way through the Chorão Island mangroves, following an ecologist named Katrina Fernandez in search of the elusive smooth-coated otter. I can hear birdsongs from the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary nearby; a black-crowned heron scoops down mid-flight, and grabs a fish from the emerald waters of the River Mandovi. And, that is when I hear a ‘gunshot’!

Katrina doesn’t flinch at all. In fact, she says, “That’s a pistol shrimp. It makes that sound by clapping both its claws together.” Katrina, my guide on this Goan isle, is also the director of Wild Otters Research (wildotters.com), an adventure camp where guests are welcome to stay with resident conservationists trying to rehabilitate the local otter population. “Otters are extremely shy and nocturnal, and spend a lot of time either underwater or in burrows. The island also has wild boars, mongooses, jackals, porcupines, and crocodiles,” she adds.

KONKANI CROCODILES