Chandipur Beach — The Hide-and-Seek Beach

Think of magic, of stage shows, of illusionists and conjurors. Now, think of the great magicians of the world. Which names pop up in your mind? David Copperfield? Criss Angel? P.C. Sorcar? Or Gogia Pasha? What if we told you that the greatest magician of them all is Nature? 

Yes, that’s true! The velvety texture of a flower, lush green forests, the cool experience of a flowing stream, the splendid climate of different places, the soothing showers of monsoon are all different parts of Nature’s great magical act. And one such sleight of hand performed by Nature is in the form of a sea that vanishes right in front of your eyes, only to reappear hours later! 

Believe it or not, this beach in India is not a constantly existing feature on the map; at least it doesn’t look the same every time! Surprised? 

Let us take you to Chandipur in Odisha to show you a beach that disappears in thin air! No kidding!

NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T

Do you like to play hide-and-seek? The Chandipur Beach, some 200 kilometres from the capital city of Bhubaneswar, in Odisha, loves this game too! 

One of the wonders of nature, the waters of this magical sea vanish right before your eyes and come back rhythmically at regular intervals, as if playing hide-and-seek. 

This hide-and-seek game of the sea occurs twice a day. The sea disappears about- hold your breath — 5 to 6 kilometres during the low tides, replacing the area with sand dunes, and you can even walk on the waterbed that is left behind-without being washed away! (Doesn’t this sound like a water trick that magicians perform so very often? 

You can even play a game of football or enjoy a jeep ride on the seabed. During the high tide, the waters of the sea come back again. On most other beaches in the world, the waves come and go, dashing off the shore, but in Chandipur, the waves are like a musical fountain, soothing to the eyes and ears.

WOW! BUT HOW?

A strange phenomenon that is rarely seen in any other part of the world, experts say that this receding of the sea during ebb, and filling up the expanse again during flow, happens because of the large difference in the low and high tides. 

This phenomenon happens every single day at no fixed time. 

Everything depends on the moon’s cycle. 

While the locals know when to expect the high and low tides, tourists are warned to stay clear of the beach during full moon and new moon days, for on those days the waves of the sea here hit unusual highs. 

Since the level of the sea depends on various factors like the earth’s rotation and the forces exerted by the sun and the moon, isn’t it strange that these factors result in such an unusual difference in sea levels only at this particular beach? 

Which is why the Chandipur Beach is globally known as the ‘vanishing sea’ beach.

SHADE  CARD

Due to the difference in water levels across the vast Chandipur seabed, you can witness shades of the colour blue in neatly stacked parallel sections-making it look like a huge canvas of a divine painter who was obsessed with the colour blue!

 A MELTING POT OF DIFFERENT SPECIES

Another remarkable feature of the Chandipur Beach   is that because of the unique slope of the seabed here, small waves form in the middle very unusually, shifting later. 

Due to its special shape and contour, this place supports a unique range of biodiversity. 

The beach also has an abundance of seashells, driftwood and king crabs. The washed-away seabed leaves a variety of seashells in different shapes and sizes. 

Also, you can spot many birds looking for food, such as small sea creatures like fishes and crabs, on the exposed seabed. 

When the water reappears, it brings along with it crabs scurrying across the sand, which otherwise live further away from the beach. Tortoises, small starfish or other sea creatures can also be found here. The beach is framed by Casuarina trees.

Read Also: The Temple with Musical Pillars

A MYSTERY YOU CAN VISIT

Humans have visited nearly every place on earth and even beyond. They’ve gone to the bottom of the ocean and they’ve walked on the moon. 

Yet there are so many mysterious places that fascinate us. Their stories feed our imagination and their mysteries inspire us to learn more about our amazing world. 

Chandipur Beach is one such place. A missing person is one thing-but a disappearing beach? Sounds like a great mystery story. But it’s no fiction. It’s real-as real as you can see; it is a place that you can visit. It is a miracle of nature, a mystery that leaves us with a lot of questions.

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Stop and think!

How does the moon affect the tides?

Are there other disappearing beaches in the world?

What are some of the other magical tricks that Nature plays on us?

What other places would you call 'wonders of nature'? A long-lost cave, a mighty waterfall, an island arc, or a great, big chasm?

If these are questions that spark your curiosity, there’s a young investigator inside you who’s waiting to get on the job.

You can try and figure out the answers for yourself.

Do your own research by digging around online (safely, of course!), fiddling about in your school or public library, or asking your teacher or other adults around you for help.

Don’t be shy-asking questions is the best way to learn!

— Excerpted from A Dozen and a Half Stories - Strange and Mysterious Places the World Forgot by Arti Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy, with permission from Rupa Publications