100 nests in just 40 days: Chennai coast sees record Olive Ridley surge

Officials attribute it to favourable sea conditions, but death of radio-tagged turtle a setback

While record nesting numbers have boosted conservation efforts, the mortality has highlighted the continuing risks posed by fishing-related entanglement. (Photo | express)

CHENNAI: Olive Ridley turtle nests along the Chennai coast have crossed the 100-mark in just 40 days this season, the fastest pace recorded in three decades, according to official sources.

Field staff and volunteers monitoring the nesting beaches said the three-digit mark was reached on Wednesday.

The nests have been documented along the stretch between Marina and Neelankarai, where night patrol teams track nesting females and relocate eggs to the Besant Nagar hatchery for protection.

Shravan Krishnan, a volunteer with the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), said, “We recorded brisk nesting on Tuesday night. Volunteers found 15 nests and secured hundreds of eggs.” Officials attributed the early surge to favourable sea conditions and sustained beach patrolling. Eggs collected from nesting sites are being shifted to the hatchery and monitored until hatching, after which the hatchlings are released into the sea. However, the season has also seen a setback. One of the eight radio-tagged Olive Ridley turtles, part of an ongoing telemetry study, was found dead after washing ashore near Mahabalipuram. Forest officials said the turtle had been accidentally caught in a fishing net. The incident has raised concerns over continued fishing activity in prohibited nearshore waters. Fresh field evidence, including photographs and patrol reports, indicates that mechanised trawlers are operating in restricted zones. Some vessels were found with masked or partially concealed registration numbers, making identification and enforcement difficult.

Conservation groups said the mandatory use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) and stricter monitoring of trawler movement is essential to reduce accidental turtle deaths.

Joint patrols by the Forest and Fisheries departments are under way, but activists stressed that enforcement must be intensified during the peak nesting period.

Olive Ridleys have low natural survival rates, with only a small fraction of hatchlings reaching adulthood.