Odisha Part 4: Chilika – Experiencing the lake, in and out of season

My first visit to the Chilika Lake in Jan 2017 was for content for a resort. It was peak season, and I would have loved to stay near the lake, but the brief was to stay at Puri and cover areas that could be visited from Puri. And so, I did the usual touristy thing, taking a boat for half the day. Which is why, on my next visit to Odisha, if there was one thing I was clear about, it was that I wanted to stay near the lake, at least for a day, if not more. However, unlike my first visit, the second was in end of May, and the season was long ended. There would be no birds, I was warned by anyone and everyone I spoke to, including the people at the stays I was considering. But those who know me, know how stubborn I can be, and so I persisted. I eventually decided to stay at two of the Odisha eco-tourism resorts, at Mangalajodi and Rajhans, keen on experiencing the lake, even minus the birds. I had expected it to be hot, but as it turned out, the rains turned out to be even bigger spoilsports, and Rajhans had to close for repairs from a storm a few weeks before we left. Faced with the probability of staying somewhere else, I refused to capitulate, and extended our stay at Mangalajodi by another day instead. And thus, I got to experience Chilika Lake in two seasons, and the lake showed us just how much difference the season makes. And before you think the second visit was disappointing, read further ….

My first impression of Chilika Lake, was just how huge it was. I had of course read that it is Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, that there are islands and entire settlements on the lake, but the first sight still awed me. What I looked forward to, were the migratory birds, and of course the Irrawaddy dolphins that Chilika is known for, and it was extremely satisfying on both counts. The sight of red crabs scuttling across the sand is another sight I shall always remember. So here is Chilika in peak season, through my lens….

This, I remember, was my first sight of the birds at Chilika Lake..  flocks of Open Billed Storks, plovers, curlews, and stilts

River Terns and some type of sea gulls

A flock of Northern Pintails

A closer look at the Northern Pintails.. and there appear to be a couple of Ruddy Shelducks among them as well

A pair of Irrawaddy dolphins frolicking in the water

A whole flock of birds, probably terns and gulls, on one of the small islands

Another flock of small water birds, probably Eurasian Curlews

A closer look at one of the gulls.. probably a black headed gull in its winter plumage

The famous red crab of Chilika

Notice the red blobs on the sand? All those are crabs

A whole flock of birds standing in a line, at attention! Either Sandpipers or Ruffs...

locals going about their work on the lake, heading either for work or their homes

Tourists out for the day in a boat

Fishermen hard at work

On our second visit, we arrived late at the Mangalajodi eco lodge, only to realize that we were the sole visitors. We had the entire place to ourselves, and the caretakers had to be roused to provide for us. We further realized, only after talking to the caretakers, that the Odisha tourism department had very recently handed over the site and the cottages to the villagers, their arrangement for maintenance having ended, and we just happened to be the very first visitors to the property after the handover. No wonder they were so little prepared. However, they buckled up quite soon, and whipped us some simple home cooked food, perfect for me, struggling as I was with stomach issues. The property itself was beautiful, designed to fit into the landscape, and we were more than happy to have the place to ourselves.

The next morning, spurred by our apologetic caretaker, we headed for the jetty, to take a boat ride among the marshes that made up this part of the lake. We certainly did not expect many birds to spot, but they surprised us……

Purple Moorhen

Cormorant

Ibis

Black Winged Stilt

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Pheasant-tailed Jacanas

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Collared Pratincole

Ruddy Shelduck?

Black Winged Stilt Chicks

Black winged stilt nesting

Purple Herons

Brone-winged Jacana

Painted Stork

Probably a Black-tailed Godwit

Open-billed Stork

Enthused by our morning boat ride, we decided to go for the usual Chilika boat ride on the other side of the lake, hoping to spot the dolphins. The Chilika Lake I saw this time was a complete contrast to the one I saw earlier. Where earlier the jetty was filled with tourists, now there were just a few stray people like us. Where there were flocks of birds, there were few to be seen. Further, we happened to arrive at high tide, so the crabs had disappeared too. Most of the tourists this time seemed to be locals, out for a boat ride with family, heading to one of the islands, where shacks provided lunch – fresh catch cooked to order.

The dolphins, however, turned out to be the highlight – a whole flock of them frolicked happily in the water around us, as we enjoyed the sight. Samhith especially was thrilled, this being his first sight of these creatures, and that, more than anything else, made my day. Unlike the last time though, I have no pics of them to share…. I was too busy enjoying the sight. 

Also unlike the first visit, we were on the lake as the sun set. While the sun itself had hardly been visible through the day, the colours of the sky as the light faded, were the perfect end to a wonderful day.

As we drove back, the one thing on our mind was how places change in different seasons. While I did enjoy the flocks and flocks of birds on my first visit, this second visit was no less in terms of excitement. The birds might have been fewer, but so were the crowds … the rains had changed the lake and its environs completely…. Islands were covered with water, parts of the lake were inaccessible… it was an entirely new experience, one that was in no way less than the first one in peak season. This trip reminded all of us of our visit to Jaisalmer in the monsoon, when we saw a completely different aspect of the desert… with pools of water and lush greenery peeping out from amidst the sands. This visit reminded me that travel isn’t just about visiting places, or ticking places off our bucket lists…. Each trip is an experience, where we discover something new, and that happens only when we are open to new experiences, to new explorations. This time, the Chilika lake showed me a different side of itself, one that will always remain a treasured memory.

 

Information

The Chilika Lake is huge, and extends over almost 65  Km. There are quite a few places where one can access the lake from. However, the main boating at Chilika happens at Satapada, from where one can access both, the lake, and the sea. Hence there is a probability of seeing more birds here.

Odisha Eco Tourism has multiple resorts across the state. At Chilika, they have 3 nature camps – at Berhampur, Rajhans and Mangalajodi. Berhampur and Rajhans had closed due to heavy rains and storms when we visited, so we stayed only at Mangalajodi. Access to both, Berhampur and Rajhans is from Satapada, while Mangalajodi is on the other side of the lake, and one can drive directly to the resort. Bookings can be made from the Odisha Eco Tourism Website.

Boats are available at Satapada as well as Mangalajodi for birdwatching. The boatmen are quite well informed at both sites. At Satapada, there are more options for boats, including full day trips during the peak season, during which one can have lunch on one of the islands.

Beware of people selling pearls and other gemstones they claim to have found in the lake. On my first visit, I did not experience this, but this year, there were many such people around this time, eager to make a quick buck off unsuspecting tourists.