The Guide: Malvan Marine Sanctuary

In the early hours of the morning, Bhogave beach stands still. The waves gently caress the golden sand, and western reef herons diligently patrol the scattered tide pools. As the sun rises, beach walkers from nearby resorts arrive, and dolphin-watching boats clutter the waterfront. This is our second visit to the Sindhudurg region in Maharashtra as part of ongoing work by WWF India to catalogue the biodiversity of this reef habitat. A reef that isn’t as vibrant as its more celebrated counterparts but one that we have come to love, nevertheless.

Depending on the tide, lugging dive equipment from the road to the boat can take 5-20 minutes. This morning’s tide is rising, and we quickly progress across the narrow beach. From Bhogave, seated comfortably in our dive vessel, we stick to the coast and head north towards our sampling sites surrounding the Malvan Marine Sanctuary. The Tarkarli-Malvan shoreline is divided into smaller sections by makeshift groynes (gunny sacks stacked vertically across the sand to prevent beach erosion). Fishers prepare their rampans (shore seine nets) to deploy when a school of fish is in sight. A small pod of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins breaches without inhibition – enjoying the temporary respite from the throngs of dolphin-watching tourists who will likely be tailing them later in the day.

About 20 minutes into the boat trip, the silhouette of Sindhudurg fort starts to take shape. This 17th-century structure encircles a 40-acre island a few hundred metres from Malvan’s popular Dandi beach. The shallow waters immediately surrounding the fort also form the “core” zone of the three-square-kilometre sanctuary. As we get closer, we see coral forms from the surface — expansive plate corals to voluminous boulders — interspersed with patches of green and brown seaweed. We secure our boat to a fixed mooring line and kit up in the water before giving the “let’s get a move-on” signal and dropping to the reef bed four metres below.

Explore

Dive sites in the Malvan area are distributed around three island groups. 1) The waters surrounding Sindhudurg Fort are where most of the tourist boats go. These sites are shallow — around four metres at their deepest but teeming with life. 2) A rocky outcrop close to three kilometres south of the fort, called Sargassum forest for its once-luxuriant seaweed beds, is another popular site that falls just outside the sanctuary’s buffer zone. 3) Further south and perpendicular to Bhogave beach lies the Vengurla rock complex, a group of large islands that don British and Portuguese-era lighthouses and caves which harbour nesting populations of edible nest swiftlets. The islands of the Vengurla complex offer some of the best diving in the Sindhudurg region. Irrespective of where you’re staying — in Malvan city, Tarkarli or just across the Karli River in Bhogave — your local dive operator will facilitate dive trips to these areas.

While it is possible to snorkel here, the reefs are best explored while diving, and one should consider getting certified. Some dive centres offer PADI courses which equip you with the skills and training required to dive comfortably and safely. If you’re unsure about investing in a course or have limited time, try a Discover Scuba Dive – a one-hour, highly moderated dive that is a great segue to eventually pursuing your courses.

Wildlife

Corals: Depending on diving depth, you will encounter different coral life forms. Shallower sites are dominated by plate and boulder corals, deeper sites harbour beds of striking red whip corals, rotund colonies of orange sun corals and sea fans in hues of blue and purple.

Reef fish: Common schooling species of fish include regal damselfish, white-spotted rabbitfish, collared butterflyfish and elongate surgeonfish. The blue-lined grouper – the unofficial mascot for the country’s west coast reefs, owing to its sheer abundance across sites – can be seen floating languidly between coral ledges. If you really pay attention, you’re sure to discern the odd shape of a scorpionfish, an ambush predator and master of camouflage that embodies the word “sedentary.”

Invertebrates: The jewels of the Malvan Marine Sanctuary are its sea slugs — small, conspicuous denizens that use colour to advertise their inedibility. Ornate sap-sucking slugs are plentiful, more so than I have seen in any other geography. Dorids, species of nudibranchs (slugs with external gills), can be spotted gliding across the reef in slow motion. Expansive zoanthid mats are another common sight, with these bright green colonies sometimes competing with corals for prime real estate, dictated largely by the penetration of light.

Flora: Shallower sites are carpeted in a short filamentous alga, Amphiroa fragillissima, that renders the seabed purple. Multiple species of Caulerpa, a green and highly variable macroalga, are also seen here, from the comb-like fronds of Caulerpa sertularioides to the boba-like and edible beads of Caulerpa lentillifera. If the conditions are right, you could swim through underwater meadows swaying delicately in the tidal action.

Marine megafauna: Indo-pacific humpback dolphins and hook-nosed sea snakes may be encountered on your boat journeys to/from dive sites. Keep your eyes peeled. If you’re lucky, you may see an olive ridley or green sea turtle.

Diving Schools

Indian Institute of Scuba Diving and Aquatic Sports (IISDA): Owned and run by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), this dive school is in Tarkarli (20-minute drive from Malvan city centre). A team of highly qualified instructors and some of the best SCUBA training facilities in the country make IISDA a great place to do your courses or fun dive.

Divers of Vingoria (DoV): A two-minute drive from Bhogave beach, separated from the touristy Tarkarli by the mouth of the Karli River, DoV is a relatively new dive school with a small team makes you feel at home. If it is a sense of exploration that drives you, DoV is the place to be — night dives and recces to new sites are specials offered to certified divers.

Getting there

Malvan is 90 km/2-hour drive from Goa’s Mopa airport. The nearest railway station is in Kudal, 30 km/50 minutes away. Regular buses ply between Goa to Malvan from Panjim.

Seasons

While the sanctuary is open year-round, diving is best experienced from September to April. The southwest monsoon and the accompanying southerly winds make the sea rough and underwater visibility poor between May and August. Dives may be possible offseason in windows of fair weather.

Stay

Tarkarli

• Kombe’s House (+91 9167769672) offers simple airconditioned rooms with WiFi. Their restaurant serves sumptuous Malvani food, especially the surmai fish thali.
  
• If you sign up for dives with IISDA they will help you find a suitable homestay, or you could rent a room at the dive centre itself.
  

Bhogave

• Since Bhogave is less developed, options for accommodation are a limited. Divers of Vingoria has a pocket-friendly dormitory close to the dive school.
  
• Sea Horizon Resort is a more upscale option with a stunning view.
  

Tips

• Contact the dive school a few weeks before your planned visit to ensure courses or fun dives are scheduled as per your visit.
• Book accommodation in advance, especially during peak tourist season (Nov-Jan). 
• Avoid physical contact with marine species, for their safety and yours.
• Manage your expectations. These aren’t the reefs of the Andamans or Lakshadweep. But bring a keen sense of curiosity and you will be rewarded.