India's third-largest mangrove stretch, guarding the Godavari Estuary near Kakinada.
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected mangrove ecosystem situated along the Godavari Estuary in Andhra Pradesh, India, just a short distance from the port city of Kakinada. It represents the third-largest continuous stretch of mangrove forests in the country and supports an unusually rich network of tidal channels, backwaters, and deltaic landscapes where the Gouthami and Godavari rivers meet the Bay of Bengal.
The sanctuary is defined by its coastal intertidal setting, where mangrove trees rise from the water on tangled prop roots that trap sediment and shelter diverse aquatic life. This habitat supports twenty-four documented mangrove tree species alongside a wide community of associated shrubs, herbs, and salt-tolerant grasses, forming one of the more botanically varied mangrove formations on India's east coast.
Coringa is recognized for its birdlife, with more than 120 recorded species that include critically endangered vultures, near-threatened storks and ibises, and vulnerable pelicans, all drawn to the rich feeding grounds of the mangrove backwaters. The reserve also shelters mammals such as the fishing cat, golden jackal, and smooth-coated otter, and its 18-kilometer sand pit serves as a seasonal nesting ground for olive ridley sea turtles.