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
A quiet oasis in Egmore, Mayor Sundar Rao Park could do with better maintenance
Standing Committee on Academic Matters debates political science courses on Pakistan and China for Postgraduate Curriculum Framework restructuring.
Flood warning issued as water levels rise in KRS dam, prompting alerts for Cauvery river residents and downstream areas.
Four persons were killed and three others sustained injuries in a fire that broke out in a five-storey building housing several manufacturing units in Rohini Sector 5, the police said on Wednesday. Sixteen fire tenders were rushed to the spot after the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a call about the blaze at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday. However, due to the combustible material stored in the building, including plastic and clothes, and the narrow lanes leading up to it, which prevented fire engines that ran out of water from giving way to other rescue vehicles, it took the DFS over 12 hours to douse the flames.
Bharat Biotech and GSK to reduce price of malaria vaccine for children to less than USD 5 by 2028.
Delhi High Court seeks response from police on bail plea of former AAP MLA Naresh Balyan in MCOCA case.
Andhra Pradesh Police awarded for outstanding passport verification performance by Ministry of External Affairs during 13th Passport Seva Divas.
Telangana Fire Department urges mandatory fire safety audits in pharma units to prevent accidents and losses.
In the backing of Iran, as in Russia and China, there is no military treaty to anchor all these, which marks a gap in taking on western influence which is uses both treaties and understandings
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's roadshow on Chennai-Bengaluru Highway in Ambur town draws massive crowds with enthusiasm and support.
For the people of Alipur in Karnataka’s Chickballapur district, the past few weeks have been an unimaginable nightmare. Many had gone to Iran to pursue education, theological studies, or for work. None had anticipated that escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel would leave them trapped.
Valanadu Sustainable Agriculture Producer Company empowers rural women through palm-leaf handicrafts training, offering skills, companionship, and relief.
Union Minister criticizes Congress for imposing Emergency 50 years ago, questioning their credibility on democracy and freedom of speech.