Carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles continue to wash ashore in Visakhapatnam

The carcass of an Olive Ridley found at R.K. Beach in Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit: K.R. DEEPAK

Carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles, which are currently in their breeding season, continue to wash ashore along the Visakhapatnam coast.

For the past few days, visitors have been finding the carcasses on the beaches in the city such as Mangamaripeta, near Bhimili.

Eyewitnesses say that a number of carcasses were found on the beach on Saturday night.

Environmental experts say that a majority of the deaths are due to marine pollution and trawling activities for catching fish.

National Fisherfolk Forum general secretary A. Dasu said, “We saw dead turtles on the city beaches, especially at Mangamaripeta, where at least 10 carcasses were washed ashore on Saturday night (December 14). This is a shocking experience. During this season, the turtles come close to the shore, up to nearly 500 metres, to lay eggs.”

“I too have seen some turtle carcasses on the city beaches. I feel guilty. Why are the carcasses left on the beaches, instead of being buried? It’s an awful sight to see birds feasting on them,” said K. Suresh Kumar, an IT employee, who participated in the Vizag Navy Marathon on Sunday (December 15).

The Andhra Pradesh State Forest Department usually takes up conservation of turtles every season. Officials say that this year too they have started four artificial hatcheries as part of the conservation measures.

“Four hatcheries (nesting points) have been set up in areas such as R.K. Beach and Jodugullapalem. These points will be active till May,” said Visakhapatnam District Forest Officer Shambangi Venkatesh.

He said there would be a special team at each hatchery point to collect the eggs laid by the turtles and store them safely.

“We usually receive reports of dead turtles on city beaches. This happens when the turtles come to the surface of the sea to breathe and are accidentally caught by heavy fishing vessels during trawling operations. However, it should not happen. More awareness is needed,” he said.

“Nobody will intentionally harm a turtle. However, we are continuously educating the fishing community and others to take special care of turtles in the deep sea during the breeding season. We are also educating them on the use of turtle excluder devices. Last year, we released nearly 25,000 hatchlings into the sea through our hatcheries, achieving a success rate of over 95%,” Mr. Venkatesh told The Hindu on Sunday.

The five-month traditional activities include constructing hatcheries, collecting eggs, monitoring, looking after the hatcheries and releasing the hatchlings (turtles).

“It takes 40-45 days for an egg to hatch. The mother turtle incubates at least 100 eggs. It is a continuous process from December-January to May,” said Mr. Venkatesh.

Olive Ridley turtles get their name from the colour of their shell, which is initially grey, but turns olive green as they mature. Female turtles can nest three times a year.