Balochistan's heavenly Sonmiani Beach
- By Web Desk -
- Nov 05, 2022
Virtually hidden from the scene, Sonmiani beach is one of the loveliest beaches one can find solace in. It is extremely alluring and its clean sweeps of water are greatly admired.
It is a heavenly spot for visiting and enjoying. Added to its advantage is its easy access through road that is of good quality.
Sonmiani Beach is located at Sonmiani Bay in the Lasbela District of Balochistan and it is a two-hour drive from Karachi. The total area of the Bay is 125.25 sq km and the shelf adjacent to it is 80 km wide.
The coastal areas of Balochistan are widely acknowledged to possess the potential of becoming the economic power-houses of Pakistan. With their close proximity to ports these areas are the best locations to develop industrial and commercial zones.
Sonmiani beach is home to the Portuguese man-of-war and various species of fish. The invertebrate fauna are found in large scale at the location including protozoan, annelids and mollusks.
The location also is rich in marine flora. More than 350 species of fish are known to exist in the area. Shrimping is also carried out in the shallow waters and shrimp trawling grounds are located in Miani Hor also known as Sonmiani Bay. Major species of fish are pelagic, demersal, shrimps, lobsters, crab and even sharks.
The area is famous for large concentration of water birds including migratory and resident ones.
More than 20,000 birds representing 52 species usually visit Sonmiani in winters. The area is one of the designated Ramsar sites in Pakistan.
The area is also included in the Global 200 eco-regions of WWF as an outstanding example of major habitat types. It is part of Arabian Sea Eco-region. It is the home of grebes, pelicans, flamingos, herons, storks cranes, gulls and terns.
Text by: Dua Shah