UDUPI: It’s the nesting season and parts of beaches along the Kundapur coast, where olive ridley turtles come to nest, have been secured. Forest officials are getting ready after reports appeared that olive ridleys had arrived on the beaches of neighbouring Uttara Kannada district.
Special enclosures have been placed on the beaches to protect turtle eggs from dogs and other predators. These enclosures also help minimise disturbance from humans during incubation.
Forest officials told TNSE that the efforts will be in place till hatchlings emerge and make their way into the sea. Usually, the eggs hatch in 50 days. Every year, beaches under the Kundapur forest division are secured during the nesting season. With a higher success rate at Byndoor for the first time last year, the division decided to strengthen its conservation efforts this season.
The division has also intensified awareness programmes for local residents and beachgoers. Lectures on the ecological role of olive ridley turtles, particularly their contribution to maintaining coastal balance by feeding on jellyfish, are being held. By consuming jellyfish, olive ridleys indirectly support the fishing community.
Globally, olive ridleys are listed as a vulnerable species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified olive ridley -- one of the seven living species of marine turtles -- as vulnerable due to its mass nesting behaviour and increasing threats from human activities such as coastal development, fishing and pollution.
Forest department sources said conservation efforts have also been launched along the coasts of neighbouring Dakshina Kannada.
In the Kundapur division, enclosures have been placed in the Kodi beach area, where turtles arrived during previous seasons. CCTV cameras have been installed at these sites to prevent vandalism and ensure round-the-clock monitoring.
Beach watchers regularly patrol the shoreline to identify nesting activity. Local fishermen also play a crucial role by keeping a watch on natural nesting sites. To encourage their participation, the department gives fishermen Rs 3,000 for identifying nesting locations. Earlier it was Rs 2,000. The ReefWatch Marine Conservation – Kundapur and other NGOs, and volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and local residents are part of the efforts to safeguard olive ridley eggs.
If eggs are laid away from the waterline, barricades are erected to protect them. This is known as the in-situ conservation method. If eggs are laid close to the sea and face the risk of being washed away, they are carefully shifted to a hatchery readied by the department.
During relocation, eggs are handled skilfully and kept in the same orientation to avoid disturbing embryonic development. This is known as the ex-situ conservation method. Once the hatchlings emerge, they are released into the sea. Each nesting site will have 80-150 eggs. One hatchery can accommodate eggs from eight to 10 nesting sites. Last year, ex-situ conservation was done at six nesting sites and in-situ at eight sites under the Kundapur forest range. Around 1,500 eggs can be accommodated in a 12x8 ft hatchery, a forest official said. Even for in-situ conservation, basic enclosures will be erected.
The officials said the recent data showed encouraging progress. During 2024-25, 24 nesting sites were secured in Kundapur to protect 2,490 eggs. Of them, 1,842 hatchlings emerged, achieving a success rate of 73.97% compared to 50.3% in 2023-24.
Kundapur Range Forest Officer Raghavendra Naik said the department recently received information that olive ridleys had arrived along the coasts of Uttara Kannada. “This is an indication that olive ridleys could soon arrive along the beaches of Kundapur too. This time, we have initiated conservation efforts early,” he added.
Local conservation enthusiast Ashok Poojary said the turtles’ arrival appears delayed this year. “However, preparations are on. The sites are ready and we hope the turtles arrive soon,” he added.