Injured hawksbill turtle nursed back to health, transported 600 km by road, and released in Gulf of Mannar

Injured hawksbill turtle nursed back to health, transported 600 km, and successfully released in Gulf of Mannar's ideal habitat.

A hawksbill turtle that washed ashore injured in Neelankarai was nursed back to health over two and a half months by the Forest Department and the Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary (BMAD). 

It was then transported over 600 km by road to the Gulf of Mannar and released off the coast of Kariyachalli island in Thoothukudi district on Thursday (April 9, 2026).

On January 8, a juvenile hawksbill turtle was found stranded along the Neelankarai coast. The animal repeatedly washed back ashore despite multiple attempts to return it to the sea. It was taken to a veterinary facility, where Forest Department officials and BMAD veterinarians stabilised it. 

Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra said, “Hawksbill is found along Tamil Nadu coast, but it is not very common. When it was brought in it could not dive.” A CT scan revealed a collapse of the left lung lobes, leading to pneumocoelom and “floating syndrome”.

“Part of its lungs had collapsed, possibly due to entanglement in fishing gear. We used targeted weight therapy by adding some artificial weights on the turtle to help with buoyancy,” said Jossika Navukarassu, veterinarian, BMAD.

According to Supriya Sahu, the State’s Environment, Climate Change and Forests Secretary, the release plan was based on the species’ habitat and feeding needs. Kariyachalli Island, with its coral reefs and seagrass beds, offers an ideal habitat for juvenile hawksbills and is a protected area with minimal fishing activity.