After falling 253 metres at Jog and winding through the Western Ghats, the Sharavathi River ends its journey at Honavar. The estuary it forms is a maze of channels, sandbars, mangrove islands and fishing hamlets and it is the reason Honavar exists.
The brackish water is a nursery for prawns, crabs and fish and a feeding ground for migratory waders such as sandpipers, plovers and terns. Mangroves line the banks; you can walk through them on the Kandla mangrove boardwalk or see them from a boat on a backwater ride.
The estuary supports hundreds of fishing families and is a nesting area for Olive Ridley turtles at nearby Tonka Beach. A proposed private port at the river mouth is the biggest threat to this ecosystem and local people continue to campaign against it.
Tips
- For the best views, see the estuary from the water on a sunset boat ride.
- Bring binoculars from November to February for migratory birds.
