Pitti

Pakshipitti
Location of Pitti in the Indian Ocean
Satellite picture showing the atolls of the Lakshadweep except for Minicoy

Pakshipitti or Pitti-island is an uninhabited coral islet in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is located at 10°46′N 72°32′E / 10.767°N 72.533°E about 24 km to the north of Kavaratti, 37 km to the east of Agatti and 42.5 km to the SSW of Amini Island.[1] The island is low and arid and, lacking adequate anchorage points, of difficult accessibility. There is another island with the same name in Lakshadweep which is part of the Kalpeni Atoll.

Pakshipitti or Pitti-island is 300 x 200 m in size and devoid of vegetation. There is a dark rock on the eastern side and several stone cairns.[2]

Ecology

Pakshipitti, pakshi meaning "bird" in Malayalam, owing to the pelagic birds nesting on it, such as the Sooty Tern (Sterna fuliginosa), the Greater Crested Tern (Sterna bergii) and the Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus). The birds nest side by side, but not intermixed, on the dry coral rubble. There is a seasonal pattern in the breeding period of the birds. Since it has no protecting reef surrounding it, the islet is periodically rinsed by wave action and there is no accumulation of guano on it.[3]

Pitti Bank

Pitti is located at the southern end of Pitti Bank, a largely submerged atoll, the same bank as Amini Island. Pitti and Amini are the only emerging features of this roughly triangular bank which has an area of 155.09 km². The bank stretches for about 50 km in a roughly NNE/SSW direction.[3] The 11th parallel north passes across the bank.

References

  1. ↑ "Lakshadweep - Pitti". Oceandots. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  2. ↑ National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (2005). Prostar Sailing Directions 2005 India & Bay of Bengal Enroute. ProStar Publications. p. 103. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Zacharias, V.J.; Kurup, Deepakumar Narayana (1994). "Birds of Lakshadweep Islands". Forktail (10): 49–64. Retrieved 17 February 2012.

External links