EXCLUSIVE FEATURES Kerala backwaters now add yachting to tourism attractions Kerala backwaters, famous for their scenic beauty, snake boat races and huge house boats, offer you something more these days - a leisure ride on yachts. The increasing popularity of leisure boating in the state has opened up new opportunities. Spending a weekend on a boat, with a little fishing and barbeques on board, is slowly becoming an accepted norm these days. In Kerala, any boat bigger than 30 feet with cabins would qualify as a yacht. The Kerala Tourism Development Corp has announced it will set up a marina at the Bolghatty Isle in Kochi to solve the problem of parking of yachts and boats. Gujarat launches whale shark watching project to attract tourists Tourists visiting Gujarat will now get a chance to watch whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in their natural habitat near Saurashtra coast, with the "Whale Shark Watching Tourism" launched in the state. The state Forest Department will also be celebrating the Whale Shark Day in Porbandar every year. This year it is being celebrated on the day of the launch of the project. About 1,200 to 2,000 whale sharks visit the Saurashtra coast every year. The whale sharks migrate from the north coast of Sri Lanka to the Gujarat coast. The best time for whale shark watching is between November and May.