Race against the tide: 33 rare swimming camels rescued from Arabian Sea near Vadinar

Ahmedabad: In a dramatic rescue, 33 camels—belonging to the rare and endangered Kharai breed, the world’s only swimming camels—were saved from the high tide in the Arabian Sea near Vadinar Jetty in Gujarat's Devbhumi Dwarka, thanks to a swift and coordinated effort by Vadinar Marine Police and local villagers.

The camels had been grazing peacefully on mangroves near Singach village when the tide turned against them. Swept by powerful currents and disoriented by the saline waters, they wandered dangerously close to the busy jetty.

As panic spread among onlookers and herders, a high-alert call was made. Senior cops, including District Police Chief SP Nitesh Pandey of Devbhoomi Dwarka and DySP VP Manseta of Jam-Khambhaliya Division, led the response.

Inspector VR Shukla of Vadinar Marine Police, heading the frontline team, rushed to the spot with camel herders in tow.

“We got information that over 30 camels were trapped in the high tide,” said Shukla. “We waited for the tide to ease and carefully steered the animals back to shore. These camels are adapted to brackish mangroves, not the harsh saline tides. Time was against us.”

The Kharai camels, native to Gujarat’s coastal belt in Kutch district, are known for their rare ability to swim across creeks to graze on mangroves—but the fast-moving tide had caught them off guard. For hours, the animals stood vulnerable in the open waters near the jetty, threatened by exhaustion and the risk of drowning.

Thanks to the quick thinking of the rescue team and the herders’ expertise, all 33 camels were brought to safety without injury.