Station
Setup
Operators
Frequencies
Our
Log
IOTA
pictures
QSL
info
Contact
us
The St. Mary's Isles are a group of small islands lying about 2 kms. to the north of the natural port of Malpe. Malpe is 7 kms form Udupi on south coastal state of Karntaka in India. Vasco-da-Gama is believed to have landed in 1498 on one of these islands which he called `EI Padron de Santa Maria'. It is from this that these islands got their present name St. Mary's. They are just a few scattered projections of rock rising out of the western or Arabian Sea around Malpe. The northern-most island is about a square mile in area and not more than 250 yards in width. It has a few coconut and palm trees which provides a little shade on one part of the island and give it a true South Sea colour. Saltish & sweet grapes are said to have grown here, but we found none during our preliminary investigating trip. The island is noted for its famous basalt rocks which have crystallised into columns and split into hexagonal mosaic. Perhaps, this is the only spot in India where basaltic rocks show up such peculiar formation.
some
more pictures of St. Mary's island
<--
(This photo by VU2RDQ, Rohit)
© 2001 VU2SBJ,
Manipal
