The anticipation is palpable among the 15 passengers aboard SB Flamingo, a small white motorboat speeding away from the backwaters of Airoli and into Thane Creek. After all, we are on our way to observe one of Mumbai's most distinctive views — the pink flamingos that migrate to the city every December and make Mumbai their home up until the next breeding season.

As the boat jettisons into the open sea, the operator points to a blurry streak of pink that only a trained eye can distinguish under the shimmer of the noon sun. Along the way, we spot a flock of black-headed gulls leisurely bobbing after a hearty midday repast; they nonchalantly make way for our boat, unperturbed by our presence.