School series lakes 25

 Lakes of India — 3

Chilika — Where the Lake Meets the Sea

On the coast of Odisha lies a lake that is neither completely a lake nor completely a sea.

Chilika Lake is a vast brackish-water lagoon, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a narrow stretch of land. Freshwater from rivers enters it, while seawater enters from the ocean.

The result is a remarkable meeting place of river, lake and sea.

But Chilika has another surprise.

Every winter, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds arrive here from distant parts of the world. For them, Chilika becomes a vast seasonal home.

And beneath its waters lives another unusual visitor—the Irrawaddy dolphin, a rare and endangered dolphin species.

Chilika is also a lifeline for thousands of fishermen whose lives are closely connected with its waters.

So this is much more than a beautiful lake.

Freshwater comes in.

Seawater comes in.

Birds come from distant lands.

Dolphins live beneath the surface.

And people make their living from its waters.

Chilika is a place where land, river, sea, wildlife and human life meet.

One lake. Many worlds.