Back at the police camp, we chatted about life on the island. They complained about hordes of rats that destroyed everything. We had caught flimpses of the rodents scurrying around in the trees near the plantations. Could they have jumped ship and colonised the island? In r892, Major David prain noted that “a rat swarms everywhere” and was the commonest mammal on the island.
A decade ago we had experienced a similar situation on South Sentinel Islan, another remote island, almost 400km to the southwest, so perhaps it was normal for a high density of rats to live on these isolated islands, Or maybe some early ship seeded these islands with rats as a surer food source then goats and pigs! Of goats, we had seen nary a sign; no pellets or tracks. Thankfully, esides a pair seen by a few policemen the previous week, an almost thorought removal had been executed.
Just past noon, with three sails hoisted, we set course for port Blair, When a strong wind picked up behind us, Nick cut the engine, unfurled the tow additional sails and, silently, except for the sould of the yacht kniginf throught the waves, we sailed the old-fashioned way. Occasionally, we had to change direction to avoid colliding with oil tankers and cargo ships.
From the early days of shipping, the distinctive profile of Narcondam has been a navigation aid, and even today this area appears to be a busy shipping corridor. As the island disappeared over the horizon, the nagging thought of not having reached the nagging thought of nt having reached the summit had me making plans for a return. That would entail the gauntlet of getting permits again. The devil in my head suggested: to hell with them, go on a fishing/diving trip and then find and excuse to climb the hill. Apparently, by their every nature, the Gardens of Eden lead humans astray!
GETTING THERE PORT BLAIR There are daily flights from Chennai and Kolkata on Air India, jet Arways and kingfisher Red (fares start from approx. Rs 4,000 one way). TO NARCONDAM Until recently, access to Narcondam was only By Coast Guard boadt, which offered two options-either four hours or a few weeks on the islan! Signing on with a Thai liveaboard boat is the only way to visit and comply with regualtions that do not permit caping on the island.
On our Emerald Blue boat, it costs E725 per day for up to six people. The package gives you captain and cook, accommodation, all meals, use of boat equipment, kayaks, dinghy, snorkelling gear, etc. Itdoes not include forest department fees, land transport or alcohol (available for a reasonable price on board) For more details, see www.sail-thailand.com.
PERMITS Only Indians are allowed to land on Narcondam; foreigners are prohibited, but they may dive and fish off the boat. Foreigh vessels need clearance for all passengers from port Management Board, Coast Guard and, before and after the trip, from Immigration and Customs.
Since Narcondam is a wildlife sanctuary , a landing permit issued by the principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildife), Port Blair, is required. This allows passengers to land on the island but not spend the night. Landing fee is Rs 1,000 per person. Photo ID is necessary.
DIVING Theses waters are well-known for large oceanic creatures such as mantas, reef sharks, hammerheads, whales and large marling. Visibility between December and May is spectacular, but there are fairly strong currents around Narcondam, There are varied underwater rock formations, sea caves, crevices and archways to explore.
The coral is reportedly the healthiest in the Andaman group, with scores of enormous sea fans growing out of the slope as far below as the eye can see. Barrel sponges abound, some of them large enough for an adult human to slip into! Large numbers of small reff fish, as well as big eye trevelly, puffer, snapper, dog-tooth tuna, or rainbow runner can also be easily seen.
The Thai liveaboards are familiar with dive-spots around Narcondam and they have named several, such as the Estate, Chimneys, HQ pinnacle, Ooh La La, Manta Bay, Lion Rock and Bubbles. For scuba diving, the Emerald Blue has a compressor and 4x101 steel tanks.
There is no dive master on board, and all divers should have certificationl The boat can take a maximum of three divers or two divers and four non-diving passengers. There is power on board for charging batteries.
WHAT TO CARRY Swimsuit, flip-flops, hat, sun-screen, binoculars, camera, snorkeling mask/diving gear, sunglasses, hiking shoes, water bottle, snacks (energy bars, dry fruits and nuts), torch, light towel, toiletries, essential medication (including seasickness pills).
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