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The Sundarbans — shared between West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh — is the world's largest contiguous mangrove ecosystem, spanning 10,000 sq km of tidal delta forest. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, and the only tropical forest in the world where Bengal tigers live in a tidal, saline mangrove environment.
The Unique Sundarbans Ecosystem
The Sundarbans is formed by the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers — a constantly shifting, tidally inundated landscape of mudflats, tidal creeks, and mangrove islands. The dominant tree species — Sundari (Heritiera fomes), from which the Sundarbans takes its name — is uniquely adapted to saline, anaerobic conditions. Mangrove trees breathe through pneumatophores — vertical root extensions that emerge above mud to access oxygen. The root system creates extraordinary nursery habitat for fish, shrimp, and crabs — the basis of the productivity that supports the entire food web.
- Area: 10,000 sq km total (4,100 sq km in India)
- UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987
- Tiger habitat: the only sea-swimming tiger population
- Mangrove species: 64+ in the Indian section
The Sundarbans Tiger
The Sundarbans Bengal tigers are extraordinary — they swim between islands (distances of several kilometres), hunt fish, turtles, and monitor lizards in addition to deer and wild boar, and drink saline water that would dehydrate most cats. Unlike most tigers, Sundarbans tigers have a significant history of attacking humans — forest workers, honey collectors, and fishermen. The "Royal Bengal Tiger" designation originally referred specifically to these Sundarbans tigers, though the name now applies to the species across its range. Current tiger population: approximately 100 in the Indian Sundarbans.
Visiting the Sundarbans
All visits to the Indian Sundarbans require permits from the Forest Department (obtainable at Godkhali, the entry point) and are conducted by boat only — there are no roads in the core area. Organised tours depart from Kolkata, Canning, or Basirhat — typically 2-night, 3-day boat trips sleeping in launches. The boat journey through narrow tidal creeks — watching saltwater crocodiles, spotted deer on mudflats, olive ridley sea turtles, and kingfishers flashing past — is extraordinary even without tiger sightings. Best time: November-March (calm seas, dry weather, maximum wildlife activity).
Conservation Challenges
The Sundarbans faces multiple simultaneous threats: sea level rise (the islands are sinking as the delta compacts and the sea rises — some islands have already been inundated); reduction in freshwater flow (Farakka Barrage has altered the hydrological regime); increased cyclone intensity (Cyclone Amphan in 2020 caused catastrophic damage); human-wildlife conflict (tiger attacks on fishermen and honey collectors); and illegal fishing, prawn farming, and timber extraction. The tiger's survival here depends on managing all these threats simultaneously.
Conclusion
The Sundarbans is one of Earth's most extraordinary places — a vast, primordial delta forest where tigers swim the tides, dolphins arc through creek channels, and the forest is in constant movement with the water. It is also one of the most threatened — its survival is a test of whether the world can protect complex, managed human-wildlife landscapes under accelerating climate change.