It is time for Olive Ridley tortoises to nest in Chennai
Posted on: 03/Jan/2018 5:03:50 PM
Located mostly in Pacific and Indian Oceans Olive Ridley turtles are medium sized turtles that are found in abundance. It is interesting to note that these Olive Ridley turtles and Kemp Ridley turtles are highly unique because of their mass nesting known as ’Arribada’. In this mass nesting thousands of female turtles come together on the same beach and lays eggs. Conservation of these amazing turtles is very important now.
It must be noted that these Olive Ridley turtles usually weighs 50kg and they grow to a length of 2 feet. These turtles have got olive coloured carapace shaped in the form of a heart.
It is now revealed that the nesting season for these amazing creatures have started and their nests were spotted along the popular Besant Nagar beach recently.
As per K. Geetanjali who is wildlife warden in Chennai, hatchery has been set up in Besant Nagar in Chennai and students belonging to Sea Turtle Conservation Network or SSTCN would be providing their total support in managing this hatchery. She also hinted about starting of another hatchery in Kovalam beach for these Olive Ridley turtles to nest. A volunteer of this SSCTN Akila Balu spoke about how efforts are being made to reduce the deaths of these Olive Ridley turtles.
She also spoke about TED or Turtle excluding devices that help these turtles to escape when they get caught by fishermen net. She also threw light on the enforcement of five nautical mile ban for mechanised boats until the egg- laying season is completed.
According to Sharavan Kumar who is also a volunteer of SSCTN their organisation has been doing this good work of turtle conservation for 30 years now. It must be noted that in 2015-16 forest department got 232 TED and they were distributed to many fisherman across the state of Tamil Nadu.
