Photography: The Sunderbans

It is a very sad gloomy winter evening!!! the places where I am staying is Sunderbans in Bangladesh. My native forest land and world largest mangrove forest. Through my human eye I captured one of the most stunning beauties of sunderbans. It was breath taking, sad, and unique. I feel like capturing the moment. I have too many photographs of bangladesh!! rivers, birds and people but I felt a new situation photographing the Sunderbans. The problem is no matter how many photograph I have taken it does not project the uniqueness of the Sunderbans. Even there are some of the great photographers of Bangladesh failed to make it.

Why this failure.

I have found out that there are some very major problems to visualize the Sunderbans.

First of all about 90% of the Royal Bengal tiger is Man eater. And they are praised and feared for its ferocity, speed and cunningness. Once a group of international documentary maker went to make a documentary about the Royal Bengal Tigers and ended up saying "that they are unique and royal and too much life threatening to shoot.

Why life threatening to shoot photos or videos?

The Sunderban is legendary for its mazed jungle pattern!! it is sooooooo easy to get lost within minuites in Sunderbans!! and the tigers take this opportunity to victimize any human being. It is so dense that it is impossible to see in human heights so trackers have to look parallel to ground.

Mangrove roots everywhere. Millions and millions of mangrove roots so it is impossible to run in dangerous and threatening situation.

The river tide!! almost everywhere in Sunderbans the tide submerge the jungle floor, so you have to keep staying in moving pattern, and so many rivers criss cross like net that after moving sometimes you have to cross a small river. Do not be deceived that I am saying small river. This small rivers are death traps too. Tiger sharks regularly hunts in this small creeks. there are six species of sharks available you to welcome in Sunderbans including Tiger , Bull and Dog sharks. There is a saying that in Sunderbans Sharks in the water,. Tigers in the land.So there is only one choice that is to stay in boat and to photograph. So automatically you are reducing your chances to photographing the wildlife. But the tigers of the sunderbans are so ferocious and cunning that they swim in the water like phantom jump like rocket on the deck of big boats and taking crewman away. Even the poaching is limited in Sunderbans for its deadly environment.

One of the major reasons not to go to Sunderbans is land of the king of Cobra. So many cobras live in sunderbans, that you can defend yourself for a minute if you encounter a tiger, the snake will show you no mercy. One bite of death. You want to climb the tree to save your live, trees are places to find cobras and vipers too. Think it!!! In the waters: Sharks, on the ground :Tigers and upon the trees:snakes no place to hide!!. How can you photograph and concentrate. Your one minute concentration can cost  your life. Once a group of student of the local school went to Sunderbans for a picnic, they were on a launch, they were forbidden to step feet on jungles floor, but the afternoon before returning home they wanted to walk in the shores of river bank no close to the forest. So they docked beside the river and went for a walk very close to the launch. in flash of second from no where a tiger came running and took student away with grabbing his head between its jaws. It was found that this tiger was following them for three hours and looking for an perfect moment.

Environment is so unfreindly as you can imagine as I described above. And also it is too hot and humid until december and sometimes it rains for weeks. And mildy cold in december to March. Repetitive pattern of the Sunderbans gives you less chance for uniqueness. So all the time and photographers take pictures of Rhesus monkey in the river bank eating crabs and sometimes Boars or deers. Some people wants to see tigers in the sunderbans!! but there is saying "He who once sees tigers never want to see more in their life!! they are Royal, Cunning and Unique.

But whithout photography and limited mobility Sunderbans is indeed a excellent place to visit.

Never miss that chance. And for any suggestion and advice you can mail me.