Udupi: After a ban of four months, tourist boat services to St. Mary’s Island from Malpe harbor are all set to begin on Saturday, October 1.
St Mary’s Island which is famous for its basalt rock formations jutting out in different shapes was declared as a national geological monument by the Geological Survey of India in 1979. It is a very popular destination which can be accessed by tourists by a 30-minute boat ride from Malpe beach.
As many as three boats will provide service to St. Mary’s Island from 9 am to 5 am. The capacity of the boat is 100, 75 and 55 passengers respectively. These boats are equipped with life jacket and first aid facilities. The tickets are priced at Rs. 150 per adult and Rs. 100 per child. But these three private boats will not operate if the weather is inclement.
St Mary’s Island will shortly have food stalls with temporary structures. The scenic island will be promoted as a ‘Zero Waste Island’ where the tourists would be told to pay a deposit of Rs. 10 while entering the island and a sticker will be stuck to all plastic and other material brought by them. A few plans of improving the island include installing of solar lamps and CCTV cameras.
