Sanctuary|Photofeature
SARANG NAIK
Sponges, crabs, sea stars, octopuses and corals – that’s right,
these and a few hundred other species of marine life live right
here, in Mumbai’s intertidal zone.
Over the last two centuries as the seven islands turned into
Bombay and Bombay turned into Mumbai, the city has lost its
connect with the sea. Unlike many coastal cities, the sea isn’t as
integral a part of Mumbai’s culture (other than fi shing) as onewould expect. The sea is discussed when there is either
an impending infrastructure project or when the rough
monsoon sea returns trash we’ve thrown into it. The rest of
the year, a majority of the city forgets about the sea.
Mumbai has three types of shores - sandy beaches,
rocky shores and mangrove mudfl ats. One wouldn’t believe
that there are corals across our western coastline. TheMUMBAI’S
LIVING BEACHES
MUMBAI’S
LIVING BEACHES
Text by Abhishek Jamalabad and Shaunak Modi