Enduring circle of life

The survival of olive ridley sea turtles, which venture on to beaches to nest and lay eggs before continuing their journey, depends on conservation e orts to ensure safety of the eggs and the hatchlings; in Chennai, both forest guards and volunteers are c

As the cool breeze of December begins to fade into the warm embrace of April, the Bay of Bengal coast of Tamil Nadu transforms into a sanctuary for olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea). The turtles venture on to the beaches to nest and lay eggs before continuing their journey, leaving the eggs at the mercy of nature and, of late, conservation activists who work hard to protect them. A turtle usually lays around 100 eggs, which hatch after a period of 45 to 60 days. The hatchlings are ready to wade into the sea.

In Chennai, the tireless eƒorts of the Forest Department and non-governmental organisations such as the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network and TREE Foundation ensure that most of the nests are monitored. Volunteers and forest guards go on patrol every night during the nesting season and transport the eggs to temporary hatcheries to protect them from stray dogs and anthropogenic disturbances. The eggs are counted and monitored.

Once the eggs hatch, hatchlings are released into the sea in batches after dark. Over 12,200 hatchlings have ventured into the sea oƒ the Chennai coast so far this year. During the 2022-23 nesting season, as many as 1.83 lakh hatchlings were released from Tamil Nadu, the highest in the past seven years. Further, in a ’llip to the State’s conservation eƒorts, some hatcheries this season were ’tted with weather-monitoring devices to analyse the rise in temperatures and its eƒect on the turtles.

Sea turtles face numerous challenges in the waters, with one prominent concern highlighted by conservationists being the risk of entanglement in ’shing gear.

On the coast, light pollution has been emerging as a prominent issue as bright lights from seaside resorts or late-night shacks tend to disorient the turtles.

It is believed that roughly one out of 1,000 turtles survive into adulthood. As they brave the waters, the hatchlings symbolise hope for the continuation of their species, re“ecting the enduring cycle of life in the vast expanse of the ocean.

(Text: Geetha Srimathi)

D. ABHISHEK ◣ Baby steps: A hatchling emerges 45 days after the eggs were laid in Besant Nagar beach in Chennai.

A ◣ Careful and curious: Forest Department sta check on the eggs laid by an olive ridley turtle on the Pattinapakkam beach during a night patrol.

◣ Mother to be: female olive ridley turtle ascends the shore on the Pattinapakkam beach in Chennai to lay her eggs.

Safety measures: A view of the turtle hatchery, where the eggs are taken for protection, on the Besant Nagar beach.

◣ Welcome to the world: A cluster of olive ridley hatchlings before being released into the deep, blue waters of the Bay of Bengal.

◣ First dip: Olive Ridley hatchlings venture into the sea, beginning their journey of survival. Female turtles are believed to return to the same coast to nest as adults.

◣ Interactive meet: A session by the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network is held on the beach for the visitors.

◣ Best practices: A young boy holds up a placard on conservation etiquette for visitors to the hatchery.

◣ Going home: A hatchling before being released into the sea.