The Forest Department after discussing with District Administration, the Indian Coast Guard, Gujarat Maritime Board has finally decided to reopen Pirotan Island for tourists.
Pirotan Island located near Jamnagar is known for its marine life. Creatures like sea horses, squid, king crab, octopus, sea worms are seen among others. It also has many sea birds.
On Republic Day, a group from Jamanagar’s Navanagar nature club visited the island and raised the Indian flag.
In December 2017, the Island received complaints of illegal activities and intrusions. Since then, it has remained closed. This time around, plenty of new regulations have been implemented to avoid this. At least three to four days prior to their visit, visitors must obtain permission from the forest department. If granted, permission will be granted one day before the scheduled date.
The forest service will announce dates based on tidal waves. Permissions will be granted to no more than 100 people per day. While groups of no more than ten people will be permitted. The hours for visiting will be strictly between sunrise and sunset.
Visitors will be permitted to use registered boats and will be supervised by forest staff or experts. For safety reasons, no fishing boats will be permitted. Boat owners have been provided with a radio in order to send a distress signal in the event of an emergency. It is also not recommended for elders or minor children to visit due to the difficult landscapes.