KANNIYAKUMARI : A total of 5,523 Olive Ridley Turtle eggs have been collected in Kanniyakumari district and 816 hatchlings have been released in batches into the sea from November 2024.
Kanniyakumari District Forest Officer E Prasanth told this newspaper on Saturday that the district forest department has set up five hatcheries, where collected eggs are under incubation. “The turtles generally prefer tropical sandy beaches but an appreciable number has arrived in the district despite the challenging coastline with mostly rocky beaches and high coastal erosion,” the officer said.
From November to April, female Olive Ridleys arrive in the district to nest. They mostly come to Lemur beach, Thenpar beach, Kovalam, Dwarakapathi, Manakudi, Pallam, Sanguthurai, Chinna Muttom and Vattakottai.
Turtle watchers bring the collected eggs to hatcheries set up by the Kanniyakumari district forest department at Lemur beach, Thenpar beach, Rajakamangalam Thurai and Dwarakapathi for incubation.
Forest department officials said that upon receiving information, they would go for supervision. After incubation, hatchlings would develop in about 45 to 50 days. Turtles are still arriving in the coast as the season would last till April.
N Gobi Krishnan, a resident of Alathankarai near Thenpar beach said the turtles are arriving at the sandy beaches, especially on full moon days.