In Frames | Enduring circle of life

The survival of olive ridley sea turtles, which venture on to beaches to nest and lay eggs before continuing their journey, depends on conservation efforts to ensure safety of the eggs and the hatchlings; in Chennai, both forest guards and volunteers are committed to their protection

As the cool breeze of December begins to fade into the warm embrace of April, the Bay of Bengal coast of Tamil Nadu transforms into a sanctuary for olive ridley sea turtles ( Lepidochelys olivacea). The turtles venture on to the beaches to nest and lay eggs before continuing their journey, leaving the eggs at the mercy of nature and, of late, conservation activists who work hard to protect them. A turtle usually lays around 100 eggs, which hatch after a period of 45 to 60 days. The hatchlings are ready to wade into the sea.

In Chennai, the tireless efforts of the Forest Department and non-governmental organisations such as the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network and TREE Foundation ensure that most of the nests are monitored. Volunteers and forest guards go on patrol every night during the nesting season and transport the eggs to temporary hatcheries to protect them from stray dogs and anthropogenic disturbances. The eggs are counted and monitored.

Once the eggs hatch, hatchlings are released into the sea in batches after dark. Over 12,200 hatchlings have ventured into the sea off the Chennai coast so far this year. During the 2022-23 nesting season, as many as 1.83 lakh hatchlings were released from Tamil Nadu, the highest in the past seven years. Further, in a fillip to the State’s conservation efforts, some hatcheries this season were fitted with weather-monitoring devices to analyse the rise in temperatures and its effect on the turtles.

Sea turtles face numerous challenges in the waters, with one prominent concern highlighted by conservationists being the risk of entanglement in fishing gear.

On the coast, light pollution has been emerging as a prominent issue as bright lights from seaside resorts or late-night shacks tend to disorient the turtles.

It is believed that roughly one out of 1,000 turtles survive into adulthood. As they brave the waters, the hatchlings symbolise hope for the continuation of their species, reflecting the enduring cycle of life in the vast expanse of the ocean.

(Text: Geetha Srimathi)