Bon voyage, baby turtles: Olive Ridley hatchlings given a warm send-off near Chennai’s Elliot’s beach Premium
The Hindu
Witness the heartwarming journey of Olive Ridley sea turtles from hatching to the sea, a tale of hope and conservation.
Two men walk out of an enclosure on the beach off Urur Kuppam, precious cargo in hand. It is a little after dusk and a small crowd of adults and children has gathered, following their every move. The men — both from the Forest Department — walk into a clearing with bamboo baskets and tip over its contents.
A black mass of tiny, wriggly Olive Ridley babies tumbles outside.
The hatchlings instantly hobble towards the waves. They, after all, know exactly where to go. We squint our eyes in the receding light to see them disappear. As the night sky dims, a ray of hope shines through. Only weeks ago, several dead turtles washed ashore in Chennai.
The enclosure is the Forest Department’s hatchery and a few minutes before the send-off, V Arun and team from the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), a voluntary organisation that works with the Forest Department, excavates the hatchlings and talks to the crowd about the ongoing mission.
Olive Ridley sea turtles have long been swimming into the East Coast of India for nesting. For many in the city, the turtle walks between January and March is a yearly ritual. Here, they try their luck at spotting mothers who enter the beach in the dead of night to dig nests and lay eggs.
Arun is one of the earliest members of SSTCN. He explains that SSTCN volunteers walk the 14-kilometre stretch from Neelankarai to Marina beach every night from January to March to collect turtle eggs. “This is to protect the eggs and hatchlings from predators such as dogs,” he explains, adding that in an ideal situation, they ought to be left alone to hatch and enter the sea on their own.
Our coastline though, has dramatically changed over the years, and Arun acknowledges that the turtles will have a better rate of survival if their eggs are protected in this manner.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Discover the absurd hierarchy of Indian clubs through the eyes of an outsider, with a verdict on the best club.
Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta, who should have been proactive in addressing this issue, has instead joined the bandwagon of those indulging in ‘murder politics’ in Dakshina Kannada district, said Tollgate Horata Samithi, Surathkal Convenor Muneer Katipalla
Two workers killed in explosion at fireworks unit near Kariyapatti in T.N.
Vocalist Siddhanth Sarkar of tech-death/prog metal band Ksetravid talks about the release of their debut album, God Playing Dice, and ongoing four-city tour
Indian man handcuffed at Newark Airport, raised by India with US authorities, sparking diplomatic tensions.
Experience WILD, a cocktail bar in Indiranagar with global flavours, indigenous ingredients, and a nature-inspired ambience
Elon Musk regrets controversial posts about Donald Trump on social media platform X, sparking feud between the two.
Bengaluru’s India Foundation for the Arts holds ‘Date with the Archive’, which will consist of a series of curated walkthroughs, hands-on workshops, film screenings, and drop-in sessions, to be held in the city
Kerala CM's daughter denies benami firm allegations, calls PIL politically motivated; SFIO probe ongoing, other agencies precluded.
On a call from the UK, leading whisky expert and author of annual guides called The Whisky Bibles, talks to us about Indian consumers, his tasting regimen and how it all began
Telangana High Court suspends Gali Janardhan Reddy's 7-year sentence for illegal mining, grants bail to three others.
Devotees gather for Lord Jagannath's ceremonial bathing rituals at 12th-century temple; tight security and elaborate arrangements in place.
AIMPLB protests Waqf Amendment Act, includes women & other faiths, president clarifies struggle not against Hindus in exclusive interview.