In This Blog
National Marine Park
About Coral Reefs
About Charna Island
The Government of Pakistan has decided to turn Charna Island, a popular tourism site on the coastline of the country, into a national marine park as reported by national media.
Charna Island is a small uninhabited 4-kilometre coastal area present in the Arabian Sea. This scenic spot has caught the attention of many tourists from Karachi and other nearby areas in the past few years. Along with its natural splendour, Charna Island, in pre-pandemic times, was widely famous for offering fun activities like snorkelling and scuba diving.
Federal Govt. To Turn Charna Island Into A National Marine Park
Charna Island is facing a huge environmental threat because of which the marine life near the island is endangered. About 55 species of coral reefs have been reported to be found in the deep and shallow waters around the island, some of which have suffered severe coral bleaching. Prime Minister Imran Khan has sought a report on this in light of which Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam visited the island to review the situation. The premier has also asked to grant the island the status of a ‘marine protected area’ which will make it the second such island after Astola Island.
Under the Darwin Initiative Project, species of corals were identified to be present in very limited quantities around Astola Island, Charna Island, Ormara, Gwadar and Jiwani. These corals in Pakistan have started bleaching for the first time, which is a grave indicator of the looming threat to their survival. Corals present in the water are of different vibrant colours but due to changes in their surrounding environment, bleaching starts to happen because of which the corals lose their colour and turn white. The process of bleaching occurs because of climate change which leads to a rise in the temperature of seawater. Other than the abnormality in water temperature, marine life is also threatened by increasing water pollution.
About Coral Reefs
Coral reefs resemble plants but in fact, these are animals that are present underwater in the form of colonies. Corals are one of the most valuable ecosystems on which 25 percent of marine life is dependent. Moreover, they are also a source of food and medicine for humans and the reef structure also helps in lowering the impact of huge waves formed by storms such as hurricanes and typhoons.
The bleaching turns the entire coral reef into a white coloured organism which indicates the severity in their environmental conditions. Corals can survive bleaching but if the stress continues to increase, the chances of their survival decrease and eventually die.
About Charna Island
Charna Island is a small uninhabited island located in the Arabian Sea at the boundary of two provinces of Pakistan: Balochistan and Sindh. The island caught the attention of tourists and private diving clubs and since then it has been known as the “diver’s paradise”.
There are many beaches in Pakistan, most of which are present in the Balochistan province and exploring these beaches is a popular weekend getaway for the residents of Karachi and nearby areas. Out of these, there are only a few where people can enjoy water sports and just a handful of beaches where you can go for scuba diving and Charna Island is one of them. It is located near Mubarak Village and only a 1.5 hours drive away from the main city.
Best Time To Visit Charna Island
Charna Island is popular for water sports activities and diving in the Arabian Sea. So, the best time to visit the island and enjoy these activities is when the tides are lower. Most of the private water sports clubs and diving clubs take trips to the island during the months from September to April. The temperature of the water during these months is assumed to be lower but in actual it is slightly higher than in summers and water is also calm. It is always best to check the weather forecast before you travel and in this case, you may also need to check the forecast of tides during the desired hours.
Activities To Do In Charna Island
Private trips offer different packages and the services and activities vary from package to package. Some of the activities because of which the island is crowded are:
- Snorkelling
- Scuba diving
- Cliff diving
- Jet-skiing
- Speed boat ride
Note: Most of these activities are held based on seasons. For example, snorkeling season in Pakistan usually starts from October till March. In addition, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s best if visitors contact private clubs before planning any of these activities during their trip to Charna Island.
It is important to be extremely cautious while swimming and cliff diving in the sea to avoid any unfortunate incident. Here are some more beaches perfect for a full day picnic where you can plan an exciting day with your family and friends. Stay tuned to Zameen Blog for more blogs on lifestyle and property and subscribe to Zameen Newsletter to read our most recent blogs.
