Chilika Lake

Chilika Lake is the largest brackish-water lagoon in Asia and the second-largest in the world — 1,100 sq km in the wet season, shrinking to 900 sq km in dry season. The lagoon is connected to the Bay of Bengal through a narrow mouth and has a unique ecology where freshwater rivers meet the sea, supporting both freshwater and marine species in the same waters. Chilika is best known for two wildlife draws. First, it hosts a resident population of Irrawaddy dolphins — one of only a handful of places in the world where these rare cetaceans can be reliably seen on a 1-hour boat trip from the Satapada or Rambha entry points. Second, the lake is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds in the Indian subcontinent — 1+ million birds from Siberia, Mongolia, the Caspian, and Central Asia descend on Chilika between November and March. The Mangalajodi wetland on the north bank and the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary in the centre are the headline birding sites. Boat permits at all entry points are bookable through Odisha Tourism.