A former Human Resources executive, Pradip Patade began to teach water sports at Girgaum Chowpatty and documenting marine ecosystems in 2009 when he quit his corporate job to revive his long association with the sea. Also serving on a team of lifeguards at the iconic south Mumbai beach during Ganpati immersion in 2013, Patade noted the poor levels of awareness when over 150 devotees were stung by stingrays in the shallow waters.
Photo by Pradip Patade
In 2017, along with marine biologist Abhishek Jamalabad and researcher Siddharth Chakravarty, he started Marine Life Of Mumbai, which began initially as a Facebook page with his large collection of photos, then adding free guided tours of various waterfront areas in the city. “The idea was to popularise marine life found around Mumbai, as a first step,” said Patade. “That is how conservation starts.”
Marine Life Of Mumbai evolved into the Coastal Conservation Foundation in later years, with wildlife enthusiast and conservationist Shaunak Modi who is now co-director with Patade. They lead walks at Rs 700 per person along
Girgaum, Carter Road, Haji Ali, Bandra Bandstand, Juhu, Nepean Sea Road, sometimes visiting more distant sea-fronts such as Erangal beach, etc. “If it is for educational purposes, or if a school does not have the budget, we also conduct the walk free of cost,” said Patade.
Mumbaikars are routinely amazed to see coral species in Mumbai, sea anemones, octopus, ornamental fish, among several other protected species.
Among other species of marine life seen along these walks are the Portuguese Man o' War (commonly called blue bottle), sunset razor clams, sea urchins, others belonging to the phylum echinodermata (spiny skinned), sea cucumbers, rock oysters, Bryozoans (commonly called moss animals).
As a kayaking and surfing instructor, Patade frequently hired fishermen as volunteers, and began to spend long hours watching their catch, studying the rich marine biodiversity off Mumbai. “Public opinion about our shores is that it is very polluted, but there is life here too. In fact people collect oysters and crabs from the rocky patches off south Mumbai.”
“We tend to not consider marine life as wildlife,” said Patade, pointing out that these species are covered under the same legal protection as other protected wildlife such as elephants or tigers. “We encourage participants to report any activity that may harm these creatures, they can call 1916 which is the municipal helpline or 1926 which is a Hello Forest helpline.”
