The Lakshadweep islands are located off the western coast of India and are designated by Mission Blue as a Hope Spot. The islands are the northernmost of the Lakshadweep-Maldives-Chagos group of islands, which are the tops of the vast undersea mountain range, the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge. Provides nesting and feeding grounds for sea turtles along with the Lacadives, Maldives, and Chagos Islands.
Lakshadweep is an archipelago of twelve atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks, with a total of about thirty-nine islands and islets. The reefs are in fact also atolls, although mostly submerged, with only small unvegetated sand cays above the high-water mark.
The Lakshadweep Archipelago forms a terrestrial ecoregion together with the Maldives and the Chagos. It has over 600 species of marine fishes, 78 species of corals, 82 species of seaweed, 52 species of crabs, 2 species of lobsters, 48 species of gastropods, 12 species of bivalves, 101 species of birds. It is one of the four coral reef regions in India. The corals are a major attraction for the tourist. Pitti Island, is an important breeding place for sea turtles and for a number of pelagic birds such as the Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus), Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna bengalensis) and Greater Crested Tern (Sterna bergii). The island has been declared a bird sanctuary. Source- Wikipedia
