South Button Island National park
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The smallest national park in India is the Andaman & Nicobar Islands’ South Button Island National Park, notified with an area of 0.03 sq km in official government protected‑area lists. Multiple government compilations consistently record South Button’s area as 0.03 sq km, establishing it as the smallest among India’s national parks by notified size.
Quick facts
- Name: South Button Island National Park, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (India).
- Notified area: 0.03 sq km (smallest NP in India).
- Protection class: National Park under India’s Protected Area network.
- Marine/island context: Part of the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago’s protected seascapes within India’s national PA framework.
Year of notification
Government protected-area schedules list South Button Island National Park with Year of Notification as 1987 alongside a 5 sq km area, reflecting the formal NP notification in central records.
Location and context
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South Button lies in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, within a cluster of island and marine protected areas that also includes national parks like Rani Jhansi Marine and Middle/North Button Islands, forming a mosaic of small island conservation units.
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The Andaman & Nicobar UT contains 9 national parks and 96 wildlife sanctuaries as per Government of India releases, placing South Button within one of the country’s densest PA networks by unit count.
Governance and legal basis
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National parks are notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; state/UT notifications are consolidated in central schedules and national databases maintained by Government of India institutions.
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The Wildlife Institute of India’s ENVIS/EIACP programme documents marine protected areas and the Andaman & Nicobar island cluster within India’s PA system, giving national‑level context for South Button’s conservation status.
Climate
Influenced by the surrounding ocean, the area experiences an oceanic climate with typical temperatures hovering between about 20–30 °C through the year. The southwest monsoon brings heavy rainfall from June to October, shaping both visitor patterns and underwater visibility for reef activities.
Best time to visit
The most reliable window for calm seas and clear water is December to April, which aligns with peak visitation and dive/snorkel conditions around the islet. This timing balances benign weather with good underwater visibility for marine experiences central to visits here.
Wildlife
Divers and naturalists report frequent encounters with marine megafauna and reef life, including sea turtles, dugongs, dolphins, manta/devil rays, and schooling reef fishes such as snappers, sweetlips, and barracuda in these waters.
Sightings lists compiled by travel/nature sources also mention species like octopuses, nudibranchs, Napoleon wrasse, and occasional pelagics, consistent with South Button’s role in the Andaman marine protected mosaic documented at national level.
Birds
Regularly noted coastal birds include the white‑bellied sea eagle, with additional observations of swiftlets reported in site‑level write‑ups by field travelers.
Given the tiny landmass, avifaunal observations are typically coastal or marine‑associated species using the island and its immediate waters.
Flora and reefs
The signature habitat is the shallow‑water coral reef ringing the islet, with coral gardens visible even at roughly 1.8 m (about 6 ft) depth, supporting snorkeling and introductory dive experiences.
Plant taxa often listed from the island group include rattan palm (Calamus palustris), climbing bamboo (Dinochloa andamanica), Parishia insignis, Calophyllum soulattri, and Dipterocarpus grandiflorus, reflecting coastal‑island vegetation noted by travel‑natural history sources.
Distances and travel time
South Button lies about 24 km from Havelock Island, typically reached by motorboat in roughly two hours depending on sea state and operator. Practical trip planning is staged from Havelock or Port Blair, with Port Blair commonly cited as about 70–75 km away by sea routes used in visitor itineraries.
How to reach
Airways: Veer Savarkar International Airport (Port Blair) is the aviation gateway to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, with scheduled connectivity from major Indian metros like Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai under national tourism guidance and visitor information frameworks.
Railways: There is no railway network in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands; travelers must fly into Port Blair and transfer to sea transport for onward legs to islands like Havelock and small offshore islets.
Roadways/Sea: There is no road access to South Button; visitors typically proceed by authorized boat services from Havelock/nearby jetties subject to local regulations and sea conditions.
FAQs
Which is the smallest national park in India?
South Button Island National Park (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) at 0.03 sq km in official government PA schedules.
Where is it located?
In the Andaman & Nicobar Islands within India’s island/marine protected‑area cluster.
What is the notification year?
Government protected-area schedules list South Button Island National Park with Year of Notification as 1987 alongside a 5 sq km area, reflecting the formal NP notification in central records.
Is it a marine national park?
It is part of the Andaman & Nicobar island/marine conservation mosaic documented in national MPA resources
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