MARINA BEACH Joggers at dawn… Fishing boats putting out to sea… Family groups dipping their feet in the waves every evening…Children squealing with delight as they ride horseback…the swirling beam of the lighthouse at night… Lantern-lit shops selling trinkets, shells and fast-food… and the soft splash of sea waves. That is what makes Marina beach more than a mere reprieve from the city's heat.

Between the beach and the road is a promenade created by Governor Grant-Duff, who gave Marina its name in 1884. A series of statues line the promenade. The most impressive of these being the Triumph of Labour by Debiprasad Roy Choudhry.

Also on the promenade are memorials to former Chief Ministers of the State - Annadurai and M G Ramachandran.

On the other side of the road is the familiar Chennai skyline - Senate House of Madras University, Chepauk Palace, Presidency College and Vivekananda Illam (Vivekananda House).

Despite being one of the longest beaches in the world, Marina does tend to get crowded on weekends and public holidays.

ELLIOT'S BEACH

Located in Besant Nagar, Elliot's Beach is the preferred destination for those with a clean atmosphere in mind. This beach, lined with fast food joints, small stores, and a few shrines, is a popular hangout for the younger generation today.

Affectionately nicknamed "Bessie", Elliot's Beach plays host to crowds right through the day. At one end of the beach is the Church of Our Lady of Health, Madonna, which greets people of all faiths. There is also the Ashtalakshmi Temple, dedicated to the eight manifestations of Goddess Mahalakshmi. The Schmidt Memorial is an immediately recognisable landmark on this picturesque beach. Four decades ago, Elliot's beach was the favourite haunt of foreigners seeking a secluded beach to sun bathe at.
 

 

Wildlife in Chennai

BEAUTIFUL PELICANS/SNAKE PARK/CHILDREN'S PARK, GUINDY Come to the Children’s Park, Guindy to watch the exquisite Rosy or White Pelicans floating buoyantly in the water. The very size of the birds catches the eyes of the visitors to the Park. Larger than the vulture, two of the three rosy pelicans are one of the oldest in the Park. The third one was added to the crew two years ago. Park Officials on the day-to-day basis feed 1.5 kg of fish to each of these beautiful pelicans. White or rose tinged with a tuft of yellowish feathers on the breast, the rosy pelicans have a slight crest and the feathers on the forehead end in the point above the bill. Partly a winter visitor, the rosy pelicans are found from Punjab to Assam and occasionally in South India. February to April is their nesting season, which was recorded in the Great Rann of Kutch four decades ago by the ornithologists. Their nests are a bed of feathers, which are arranged on the ground, and the larger-than-vulture bird lays two eggs at a time, ivory white in colour.

Founded by wildlife conservationist Romulus Whitaker, the Snake Park, at Guindy, houses a variety of reptiles. Cobras, Pythons, Kraits, Adders, Vipers, Monitor Lizards and giant Turtles are some of the special 'draws' at the Park. Lecture-demonstrations, by the hour, in Tamil, Hindi and English, helps inform and educate visitors. For the adventurous, an opportunity is given to handle the snakes at these demonstrations. Equally interesting is the venom-extraction demonstration. Open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Closed on Tuesdays. Adjoining the Snake Park is the Children's Park. This huge park, with spotted deer, peacocks, etc., has playgrounds, slides and swings for the kids. Also available are elephant and pony rides on weekends. This park also has a sizeable collection of birds. Open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

PULICAT LAKE

Pulicat Lake, an ecologically fragile salt-water lagoon, about 60 kms north of Chennai, is the second largest lagoon in India. It is situated on the route taken by migrating birds, tempting them to stop for a break. The lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a strip of land, in which the town of Pulicat is located.

The lagoon is protected as a Wildlife Sanctuary because of its rich biodiversity. It boasts 65 different species of fish, 30 varieties of terrestrial and aquatic birds and a host of small mammals and reptiles. Flamingos are the most frequent visitors to the lake, about 15,000 of them visit every year. Pelicans, Kingfishers, Herons, Painted Storks, Spoonbills and Ducks are some of the other birds that show up at Pulicat Lake every year.

The town of Pulicat is also an interesting spot, with its Dutch cemetery dating back to the 17th century. A few centuries ago the town was an important centre for woven and colorfully printed cotton fabric. An old Danish fort built in 1609, now reduced to shambles, can be seen here. Only the moat is clearly distinguishable now. A dilapidated church and cemetery can also be seen in the town.

Pulicat Lake is a quiet picnic spot for nature lovers and bird watchers. This unpolluted lake is a far cry from the clutter of city life, but at a reasonable distance. A recommended Sunday trip, to recharge your batteries.

The best time to visit - October to March.

Regular Ferry across the Lake, to the Lighthouse - Rs 2.00 per person.
Exclusive boat, for the day - Rs 400/- per day.

Route: 60 kms north of Chennai
Nearest Airport: Chennai
Nearest rail hub: Chennai
Accomodation: Can stay either at Chennai or Tirupathi. Accommodation easily available in both cities.
Notes: Birds on the lake can be seen from 1. Shar Road, 2. Vedurupathi and 3. NH 5 from Chennai
 

VEDANTHAANGAL BIRD SANCTUARY

About 85 kms from Chennai, in around 74 acres of marshland, over 1,00,000 migratory birds stop by every year.

Vedanthaangal is one of the largest and oldest bird sanctuaries in the country. Among the 100 odd species seen here are Herons, Pelicans, Spoonbills, open-billed Storks, Swans, White Ibis and Darters. The best spot to view the birds is the Watchtower. The ideal time would be early morning or late afternoon.

The sanctuary comes alive between November and February every year when most of the birds can be seen.
 

ARINGNJAR ANNA ZOOLOGICAL PARK

More than 30 kms from Chennai, the Aringnjar Anna Zoological Park is situated on 1,265 acres. Largest of such parks in South Asia, it is also one of the finest in the country.

Large enclosures skirted by moats, facilitate free movement of the animals in a near-natural environment. Among the biggest draws at the park are the Lion safari, the nocturnal animals enclosure, the reptile enclosures and the Aviary.

Apart from the guided group tours, those who wish to go it alone can cycle their way through. Bicycles are available on hire.
 

CROCODILE BANK

On the East Coast to Maamallapuram, you can get as close as you will ever get, to those big-jawed crawlers we call Alligators, Crocodiles or Muggers. That is at the Crocodile Bank, run by Chennai's most popular wildlife conservationist - Romulus Whitaker.

This is a captive-breeding centre where different species of Indian and African Alligators and Crocodiles can be viewed in open pits. A snake venom extraction centre conducts venom-extraction demonstrations in the same campus.

JAWS III

Vital Statistics :

Age : 29 years

Length : 15 feet, 9 inches

Weight : 550 to 600 kilograms

Jaws III is the largest saltwater Crocodile, bred in captivity, in India. It is one of the very few 'large', saltwater Crocodiles of his species.

Saltwater Crocodiles can grow to a length of 20 feet and weigh upto a tonne. The rate of growth of the saltwater Crocodile starts declining after 30 years. The average life span of these Crocodiles is 50 to 70 years. Jaws III is likely to live for another 20 years. Though he is unlikely to grow any longer, he will most certainly become bulkier.

Jaws III was born in a Singapore Zoo, and was brought to Madras Crocodile Bank (MCB) as a two year old. When he came to MCB, he was hardly three feet long.

Saltwater crocodiles are carnivorous. In the wild they attack, kill and eat birds, fish and deer. Surprisingly, Jaws III consumes a measly 6 kilograms of meat a week. Saltwater Crocodiles are found in Asian and Australian waters. They live in fresh water lagoons or brackish coastal waters. An endangered species in India, they are found in the Sunderbans.

A little patience is required to sight Jaws III at his exclusive pit. He is normally reticent, but extremely alert. Saltwater Crocodiles can run at nearly 48 kilometres per hour. Though Jaws III cannot move at this speed, (because of his weight), he can move fast if the need arises.

The Madras Crocodile Bank is anxious to add Jaws III's genes to its gene pool. But Jaws III seems to have decided otherwise. Two attempts were made to introduce a female saltwater Crocodile into Jaws III's pit. On both occasions Jaws III attacked and killed the smaller female Crocodile.

To avoid a repeat of this, the MCB has divided Jaws III's pit into two parts, with a chain link fence. They have introduced a female crocodile into the other side of the pit. It is hoped that, with daily interaction over a year, Jaws III can learn to tolerate the female crocodile and accept it as mate.

If this latest effort proves successful, Chennai could boast of its very own 'Jaws IV'.