Wandering With The Tides

No roads. No traffic. No destination to chase. The Sundarbans has a way of making you slow down, until you stop looking at the clock and start watching the tides.

Never ever had I imagined that gliding through the Sundarbans would be so hypnotic. With gentle hum of the engine and rhythmic splash of the water, the boat makes it way into the labyrinth of tidal creeks and the outside world seemed to fade away quietly.

The noise replaced by an endless expanse of emerald mangroves. Surrending yourself to be dictated by the rhythm of the tides.

The tides do far more than moving water. It feels as if the forest meditates a rhythmic breath that whispers through the mangroves.

With every rising tide, the Sundarbans inhales, flooding its roots and creeks with life; with every retreating tide, it exhales, revealing hidden mudflats and the countless creatures that call them home.

The world's largest mangrove delta is far more than the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Saltwater Crocodile, and of course, my most-wanted sighting the Buffy Fish-Owl. A little closer, and an entirely magical world begins to unfold.

But before we venture into that magical realm, let me first end the suspense and share a few encounters with the three icons.

Where Tigers Swim

The king of the Sundarbans surrendered to an early morning nap, revealing just enough of himself to remind us who rules this silent forest. Hidden deep within the tangled mangroves "The Sleeping Bengal Tiger".

Water isn't a barrier to this true ruler of the mangroves, its a highway for the one who has mastered both land and sea. Never on my bucket list was to see Bengal Tiger swimming across widest creek in the rising tide. But what do I say, birding trips bundles up with such marvels.

Oh did I mention, we locked eyes for a split second. I'm still not sure who was more surprised.

The Ultimate Tease

I always knew searching for the Buffy Fish-Owl was a treasure hunt. The clues were few, the prize uncertain, but that's exactly what keeps birders coming back. It was time to check if the Sundarbans would reveal its treasure the one I was searching for.

Patience conquered, these were testing times for my binocular skills while daring me to point a camera through the maze of branches. Adding to the test was a constantly rocking boat, fading light beneath the forest canopy, and rain clouds that refused to cooperate.

Buffy Fish-Owl pair, just fleeting glimpses, just enough to delight the eyes and frustrate the photographer.

Sometimes the moment is right in front of you. You can watch it, admire it, and cherish it. The perfect photograph remains just out of reach, reminding me that nature owes us nothing. A Buffy Fist-Owl Pair, all they offered were a pair of curious eyes.

Two Faces of Delta

Little Hunter, Big Smile.

A young Saltwater Crocodile, looking rather pleased with itself after a successful fishing session in the receding tide.

Seasoned by the Tides

Its wise, star-like eyes seemed to hold an entire galaxy, reflecting a lifetime spent witnessing the daily dance where river and sea become one.

If you're still reading, you're my kind of traveller. Let's slow down together and wander into the magical world that makes the Sundarbans far more than just tigers and crocodiles.

Let the magic unfold

The retreating tide revealed a bustling world of intertidal critters on the muddy banks. Among them was this little blue jewel, tiny in size, yet impossible to miss. "Spined Fiddler Crab"

This bright red one looked curious about me as I was about it. "Rose Fiddler Crab"

When you think you've seen it all, you find crabs climbing trees. "Violet/Purple tree-climbing crab"

A blue and white mottled shell, one magnificent claw, and a personality far larger than its tiny size. "Bengal Fiddler Crab"

How many crabs did you count? Look again!

And if there are any crab experts reading this, I'd love your help identifying the largest one in the photograph.

Thousands of them, looked like tiny lumps of mud scattered across the flat tidal bed.

Standing guard at the doorstep. Loved the structure of the burrows outer wall.

Tiny fish. Big attitudes. A territorial dispute, Sundarbans style! Two mudskippers settling their differences.

Some carrying their home through the ever-changing world of the tides.

Some love their fancy shel(L)tered life.

Green Cat Snake quietly embracing a neem tree.

"Dog-faced Water Snake" wait is that even a name? Oh yes, it is!

And this one announced itself with a mudskipper firmly stuck in its jaws.

Perfectly dressed in the colours of mud and mangrove roots, the monitor lizard.

And then another one perfectly blending with the bark of a mangrove tree, basking.

This is still a birding trip

Honestly somewhere between tides and the peace, the swimming tigers, crocodiles, curious crabs, and mischievous mudskippers, I almost forgot why I came here in the first place... birds!

Pelagic luck! Perks of not ignoring anything that flies. Wedge-Tailed Shearwater

(crappy record shot, but one of the first record it seems)

Water or air, both fluids. To swim with grace or fly with ease they have mastered the same invisible physics.

A flock of Tibetan Sand-Plovers (Lesser Sand-Plovers) drifting across the green marsh like a school of fish.

Roots with the Pied Kingfisher

Ominipresent in the mangroves. Collared Kingfisher

CSE, this one seemed darker than seen in and around Pune. But not as dark as Andaman CSE

Surpise entry! Chestnut-winged cuckoo.

Sundarbans showing off the female power! Not one, not two, but four Red Junglefowl!

Ospreys, occasional eagles, kingfishers, hundreds of Lesser Adjutants, egrets and herons, whimbrels, curlews, sandpipers, plovers, and many more that made every bend in the creek worth scanning.

And if you've made it this far and are still as curious as I was, here's the complete bird list from the trip: https://ebird.org/tripreport/555551

I wish I could follow more tides, drift through more creeks, chase a few more birds, and quitely listen to the countless stories still hidden among the mangrove roots.

The Sundarbans has a beautiful way of making every visit feel like the mysterious chapter of a much longer story. And yet, I know I've barely scratched the surface.

Time and again, nature rewards those who slow down, stay curious, and celebrate its tiniest surprises often far beyond what they had hoped for.

Perhaps that's the true magic of the Sundarbans, not revealing everything, but always leaving something waiting for your next tide.

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