Keenjhar Lake Resort Project - Sindh Board Of Investment ...

4.3.2 Eco-Tourism
Marine Turtles & Mangrove Forests: A
drive to the beaches of Hawks Bay and
Sandspit (near Karachi) is one of the
greatest sources of pleasure to a nature
lover. It provides a unique tour of the
shores of the Karachi coast where the
Green Turtle and Olive Ridley are found
during the nesting seasons. During
autumn, after the monsoons when the sea
is calmer, the visitors can sit quietly on the
beach on a moonlit night and watch the
turtles come up and repeat what they have
been doing for generations i.e. laying their
eggs and leaving them in the enclosing
warmth of the soft sand for the heat of the sun to incubate till young hatchlings, perfect
miniatures of the adult, emerge and scramble to the sea. Visitors in this area may also wish to
tour the Somiani Bay Mangrove Forest that is the breeding ground for fish and shrimps and
home to many resident and migratory birds.
Bird Watching, Keenjhar & Haleji Lakes: In the northeast of Karachi, forming the end of the
chain of the great lakes lie the beautiful fresh water lakes of Haleji and Keenjhar in the district
of Thatta. Some forty
thousand birds including over
70 species of waterfowl find
refuge here during the winter
months. These lakes can be
regarded as one of the most
important wintering areas for
waterfowls in Eurasia.
Flamingos, Pelicans, Purple
Gallinules, Ducks, Coots,
Herons, Pheasants, Tailed
Jacanas, are just some of the
birds that can be observed
here, undisturbed in their
natural habitat. Besides
providing an excellent opportunity for bird-watching, there are also tours of the surrounding
areas which allow for exploration of the historical monuments of Thatta and Chaukandi.
Thatta has the largest necropolis in the world with beautifully engraved sandstone on the
graves.
Indus River: Indus is one of the greatest rivers of the world. It originates high in the
mountains of Tibet and flows through Ladakh in Sindh before flowing into the Arabian Sea.
On its 3,200kms journey it passes through the great Himalayan and Karakoram ranges, the
fertile plains of the Punjab and the vast desert of Sindh. Near the great Nanga Parbat (8126
m), it forms the borderline between the Asian and Indian continental plates. The Indus is
blessed with a rich variety of wildlife throughout its journey. Among these are various resident
and migratory birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. The Indus Blind Dolphin is one of its most
famous inhabitants.
4.4 Tourist Sites under consideration for development
Keerthar Protected Area Complex (KPAC): Keerthar National Park is one of the largest
wildlife reserves in Sindh. The Keerthar Range forms the boundary between the Lower Indus
Plain (east) and southern Balochistan (west). It consists of a series of parallel rock hill ridges
rising from 4,000 ft (1,200 m) in the south to nearly 8,000 ft (2,500 m) in the north. Keerthar
National Park is Pakistan's second biggest National Park.
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Keenjhar Lake Resort Project - Project Information Memorandum