NAGAPATTINAM: The nesting season of Olive Ridley turtles got off to a sluggish start in the coastal delta districts of Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai with forest department officials observing only a handful of them since December 13.
Also, at least five turtles have washed ashore in Nagapattinam, some with severe injuries, allegedly caused by propellers of fishing vessels. In Mayiladuthurai, an official said, no turtle has been spotted yet this season, whereas last year in December at least a thousand eggs were collected.
Wildlife biologists attribute the delay to the recent cyclone and the hardened shoreline. “Wet shores and hardened shorelines after the cyclone-induced incessant rains is one of the reasons for the Ridleys’ late arrival. In the long run, climate change can really impact the ecosystem for the Ridleys,” said Dr Arivu, a wildlife biologist from the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary.
“The off-season monsoon has worsened the sea shores. The incessant rains have tightened the sand, whereas turtles seek softer and easier-to-dig areas,” said Sirkazhi Forest Range Officer Ayub Khan.
Sources said in 2024, over 1,500 eggs were collected across Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam in December, with roughly 1,200 eggs solely collected from coastal Mayiladuthurai. The first nesting is usually found in Mayiladuthurai at the end of November, but due to the tightened shores, the district hasn’t seen a single nesting this year.
While Nagapattinam is doing relatively better, with nearly five turtles spotted across the shores laying eggs, one of them still left the coast without nesting. “The first recorded nesting for this season was spotted on December 13 and 14. We have collected roughly 350 eggs so far across Nagapattinam shores,” said Nagapattinam Forest Range Officer Shyam Sundar.
Since the initial days, no significant hatchings were recorded, he added. Officials and biologists hope that in January, they will start seeing more turtles. “Even though there is a delay in the Ridleys’ arrival, we are expecting them to arrive in January,” Arivu said. “Every year, turtles are washed ashore, with their death caused either by asphyxiation or injuries, reportedly by the boat propellers.
The Olive Ridleys travel around the world and come back after 13 years to the very same coast where they were born to lay new eggs. But the disruption caused by both natural and artificial factors restricts this process,” he added. Referring to the washed turtles, forest officials said fishing activities should be regulated, and more awareness should be raised among the local fishing community.
“The fishermen are very cooperative and aware of the Ridleys’ situation, but more regulations should come into place. In Odisha, mechanised fishing and trawlers around major turtle congregation and nesting sites are restricted during the Ridley nesting season,” said a forest department official.