Muthupettai Mangrove Forest

Muthupettai Mangrove Forest - The marshy land in Muthupettai is the main tourist attraction in this area. This scenic spot is always evergreen with mangrove forest trees, in a sprawling area of 120 square kms. It is a wonderful sight for the tourists to see the wide expanse of backwater and the mangrove forests dotting over the entire area. Along with the deep-rooted mangrove trees the other kinds of trees like Thandal, Thillai, Narikanthal and Neermulli also grow and add to the beauty of the lagoon. This lagoon has seventy-three colourful varieties of fish. Tourists can reach the Thalaimunai Mangrove Forest in a motorboat. It is an hour’s from the Jambavanodai point near Muthupettai. A wooden pathway 162 mtrs long has been built for the benefit of the tourists to enjoying the mangrove forest. During the monsoon season November-January, a large number of birds migrate here from all over the World. Eighty different species of migratory birds congregate here having travelled a long distances. The birds come from Siberia, Russia, Iran, and Europe. Among them the notable species of birds are the heron, egret, flamingo, the painted stork, pelican, teal and tern. The migration of these birds is an extraordinary sight that adds to the beauty of this district. One can visit the mangroves from Thanjavur (65 kms), Thiruvarur (60 kms), and Nagapattinam (70 kms). The best time to visit Muthupettai is from November to February.