Indian Ocean Travel Guide

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world and the youngest one among the major oceans. It got its name from India. It is also known as “Ratnakara” in Sanskrit. This means the “mine of gems”. The Asian Continent is to the north and Southern Ocean to the south.

In the east, it touches Australia and, in the west, the Indian Ocean stretches as far as the African Continent. The ocean causes the monsoon winds, which blow across the entire Indian sub-continent. The region experiences monsoon season from June to October. Also, the fast warming tendency of the waters in the Indian Ocean has led to the increase in El Nino effect.

The largest rivers flowing into the Indian Ocean are the Zambezi, the Indus, the Godavari, the Narmada, the Jubba, the Krishna and the Brahmaputra.

In spite of that, the Indian Ocean is booming with the trade. Around 40% of hydrocarbons in the world are manufactured from the Indian ocean. Also, the oil-rich countries of the Middle East, India and Australia use the ocean to transport this oil to Africa, America, and Europe. The major ports lining the Indian Ocean are Singapore, Chittagong, Visakhapatnam, Aden, Beira, Port Louis, and Dubai.

When you see the lush waterways of the Malabar Coast or watch the colorful coral reefs of Mauritius, you will want to sail across the Indian Ocean all the more. You can take a voyage from Cape Town, South Africa to Mauritius or Kochi, India to Singapore. Enjoy the historic trade routes between the continents. The warm waters of the Indian Ocean will sooth and relax your mind, body, and soul too.

One of the main threats for the international shipping in the waters of the Indian Ocean is the piracy off the coast of Somalia. It started during the second phase of the Somalia Civil War, at the beginning of the century. The piracy costs the global trading approximately 7 billion dollars a year.

August 25, 2016 12:00 am Published by Staff Writer 1 Comment