Churna Island facts for kids
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Native name:
جزیرہ چرنا
Nickname: Cheerno
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Charna Island Karachi
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 Churna Island
Location in Sindh
Churna Island
Location in Pakistan
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| Etymology | Charna (to sprinkle) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Mubarak Goth, Kiamari Town, Karachi |
| Coordinates | 24°54′N 66°36′E / 24.900°N 66.600°E |
| Area | 0.60000 km2 (0.23166 sq mi) |
| Length | 1.2 km (0.75 mi) |
| Width | 0.5 km (0.31 mi) |
Charna Island (also spelled Churna Island; Urdu: جزیرہ چرنا) is a small, empty island located in the Arabian Sea. You can find it near Mubarak Goth, a fishing village in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
The island is about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) west of the Hub River's mouth, which is known as "Manjhar Beach." This area is where the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh meet. Charna Island is about 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) long and 0.5 kilometers (0.31 miles) wide. Locals sometimes call it "Cheerno." It is 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) away from Mubarak Village. Fishermen from Mubarak Goth often go fishing near Charna Island.
Contents
What is Charna Island Used For?
Charna Island is mainly used by the Pakistan Navy for firing practice. But it's also a very popular spot for tourists and adventure lovers!
People come to Charna Island for many exciting activities, including:
- Scuba diving (exploring underwater with breathing gear)
- Freediving (holding your breath underwater)
- Underwater photography (taking pictures of marine life)
- Hiking (walking on trails)
- Speed boating
- Kneeboarding
- Wakesurfing
- Banana tubing
- Jet skiing
- Cliff diving
- Snorkeling (swimming with a mask and snorkel)
The waters around Charna Island are famous for scuba diving. This is because there's a huge variety of sea creatures and many different kinds of coral reefs. Experts say there are over 60 types of corals near Charna. Many new corals have even started to grow after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In October, you can often see many Jellyfish in these waters.
Amazing Wildlife Around Charna
Charna Island is home to some incredible marine animals.
Whales Spotted Near the Island
In September 2017, a mother blue whale and her baby were seen near the island. The mother whale was 17 meters (56 feet) long! This was the first time a living blue whale had been seen in Pakistan's waters. Before this, only skeletons of dead blue whales had been found. While other types of baleen whales have been seen 47 times in this area, blue whales were never spotted alive until then.
In November 2017, a killer whale was also seen near the island. This was a rare sight because killer whales usually live in very deep water. The water where this whale was seen was only 72 meters (236 feet) deep. It was also the first time a killer whale had been seen in the Karachi area since 2003.
Other Marine Life
The waters around Charna are full of other fascinating creatures. These include:
- Yellow-bellied sea snake
- Great barracuda
- Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel
- Cobia
- Mahi-mahi
- Skipjack tuna
- Angel fish
- Sea urchin
- Sea fan
- Oyster
- Ray fish
- Rare green turtle
The Pakistan Game Fishing Association (PGFA) holds national fishing competitions near Charna. The many coral reefs around the island attract a lot of large game fish. However, some harmful fishing methods are unfortunately damaging this natural treasure.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Churna para niños
- List of islands of Pakistan
