VISAKHAPATNAM: Most of them made a dash to the inviting sea, a few hesitant others required a nudge as 982 Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) hatchlings were released here on Sunday.
District collector A Mallikarjuna and district forest officer (DFO) Ananta Shankar led authorities and wildlife enthusiasts in releasing the hatchlings from nine nests into the sea at R K Beach, even as children cheered and onlookers clicked photos and recorded videos of baby turtles paddling through the sand to their forever home.
Adult Olive Ridley turtles prefer quiet beaches for nesting, and the latest batch of hatchlings were from eggs laid in December and January.
Forest department officials have been keeping a 24/7 vigil, protecting the eggs from predators. The department has been conserving Olive Ridleys, classified as ‘vulnerable’, for the past 10 years, and the DFO said there has been an increase in eggs being conserved. “Last year, we conserved 47,694 eggs, while it increased to 61,218 this year,” Shankar said. The department has appointed guards, mostly fishermen, to protect the eggs. Jagadeesh, a production watcher, said they have been releasing hatchlings into the sea since March 6 this year, and till date, have released over 3,300 baby turtles.
Five hatcheries have been set up between RK Beach and Avanam, where a temperature of 30 to 35 degrees Celsius is maintained. The eggs hatch in 45 to 60 days. Turtle eggs are collected by fishermen, who trace them with the help of impressions of female turtles. Andhra and Odisha coasts, particulary Rushikulya, are known for turtle nests in the east coast.
Known for turtle nests
Five hatcheries have been set up between RK Beach and Avanam, where a temperature of 30 to 35 degrees Celsius is maintained. The eggs hatch in 45 to 60 days. Turtle eggs are collected by fishermen. AP and Odisha coasts are known for turtle nests