The fisherfolk of Thaikkadappuram beach in Nileshwaram, located in Kerala’s Kasaragod district, play with Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings before releasing them into the sea. They treat the hatchlings with affection and are fully aware of the ecological importance of these turtles. Active participants in the region’s turtle conservation efforts, these fisherfolk have helped save numerous eggs.
Neithal, an organisation that has been working towards the conservation of Olive Ridleys for the past 25 years at Thaikkadappuram, has succeeded in creating awareness among the coastal population on the need to protect these turtle eggs. Sudheer Kumar PV, a biology teacher and the co-founder and secretary of Neithal, says people are quick to inform volunteers if they spot turtles or eggs. Most of them stand guard until the volunteers reach the spot. Over the years, Neithal has successfully protected, hatched and released over 35,000 Olive Ridley hatchlings. Through camps for children and the public, they brought about an awareness on marine turtles in the region and the need for protecting them.
Turtle nesting capital
Along Kerala’s 590 kilometre fragile coastline, Olive Ridley turtles nest sporadically at select stretches, between November and March, considered its nesting season. This year, their numbers have declined, with Chavakkad in Thrissur reporting the highest count – 40 turtles that have laid approximately 4,300 eggs. “Thottappally near Alappuzha, Chavakkad near Guruvayur, Kolavipalam in Kozhikode, and Nileshwaram in Kasaragod are nesting sites. As of now, the marine turtle nesting capital of Kerala is Chavakkad, including Edakazhiyoor, Puthenkadapuram, Blangad,” says Renjan Mathew Varghese, State Director of WWF-India (WorldWide Fund for Nature).
Olive Ridley turtle eggs relocated by volunteers at Kolavippalam, Kozhikode
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Volunteers who keep vigil
Volunteer groups have been working tirelessly to protect these vulnerable marine turtles, from threats such as capture, killing and consumption of meat. Though many of these collectives are supported by the Forest Department and larger NGOs such as the WWF, they often have to fund their own initiatives. “We call them the Local Marine Turtle Conservation Groups (LMTCG), and they have been very proactive in protecting the nesting beaches and the turtles coming to the shore, including relocation of the nests,” says Renjan. “They patrol these beach stretches through the night during nesting season to protect the eggs from human disturbance, stray dogs and jackals; relocating the nests if they are below the sand dune and high tide. These are people who have jobs during the day, some are daily labourers, electricians, painters, drivers … who sacrifice their sleep to protect these gentle creatures,” says Renjan.
One of the first marine turtle conservation efforts was started at Kolavipalam, near Vadakara in Kozhikode, by a bunch of people living along the coast. “It was 1992. Having grown up near the sea, we were used to seeing these turtles. And turtle eggs were treated as a delicacy. Once we learned that the eggs were of the same turtles and that it was a threatened species, we decided to protect them,” says Dinesh Babu, one of the founder members and secretary of Theeram Prakriti Samrakshana Samithi.
An Olive Ridley turtle hatchling
| Photo Credit:
Saji Jayamohan
The team of 13 volunteers took it upon themselves to patrol the beach through the night. They built a hatchery and fenced it. The members even raised funds to buy a small plot at the beach as a hatchery. Today, it has a rescue centre and an aquarium to treat injured turtles. Over the years, Theeram’s work has inspired individuals from various parts of Kerala; Neithal being one of them.
Olive Ridley turtle
| Photo Credit:
Saji Jayamohan
Rehabilitation
Conservation goes beyond merely protecting the eggs to include rehabilitation of injured turtles, says Saidu Mohammed, one of the founders of Surya Group, a collective of conservationists at Chavakkad, Thrissur. Fishing and trawling nets pose a risk to these turtles, who are sometimes hit by boat engine propellers, causing serious injuries. Saidu recalls a “beautiful” turtle that was washed ashore with a head injury. “We used a large plastic water tank, cut it into half, filled it with salt water and placed the turtle in it. We sought help from the veterinary centre, and the Forest Department and ensured that the turtle regained its health. Once it was completely healed, we released it into the ocean,” says Saidu.
Volunteers of Surya Group with Olive Ridley turtles
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Surya group had its informal beginnings in 2003 when Saidu along with his friends observed people collecting the turtle eggs on the beach during the season. They started actively campaigning for the protection of the eggs and started creating awareness among the locals that hunting, capturing or collecting their eggs of the turtles were a punishable offence. They formed an official group in 2008. “This year, only 40 turtles have come; in 2021, the number was 150,” Saidu says.
At a given time, Neithal’s rescue centre has about six turtles at varying stages of recovery. “We use large vessels to place these injured creatures. Feeding and medication are expensive. The expenditure comes up to ₹1,000 a day,” says Sudheer Kumar.
A shrinking shoreline
A rapidly shrinking shoreline and black sand mining at Thottappally in Alappuzha district have severely impacted the delicate balance of the ecosystem, says Saji Jayamohan, co-founder of Green Roots Nature Conservation Forum, Thottappally. Coastal erosion and high tides also pose a threat to nesting turtles, says Saji, who has been working towards the protection and conservation of marine turtles. “The numbers of nesting turtles have declined this year. We only had one turtle,” he adds.
Saji, who is a photographer by profession, says he started his conservation work in the early 2000s, when he and his friend found Olive Ridley turtle eggs on the beach. “We took the eggs to my house, created a pit in the sand, created a little fence using plastic buckets and waited. Those were the days when access to the Internet was limited in my village. On the 58th day, the eggs hatched. I will never forget that moment in my life,” says Saji.
One of the initial activities of Green Roots was to educate the local population on the turtles and bust myths that marine turtle eggs had medicinal properties. More people joined in. “We covered over 600 houses creating awareness. Today, we have people reaching out to us when they spot the turtles or eggs,” Saji adds.
Saji Jayamohan (extreme right) while on a turtle watch at Thottappally beach
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Balancing the marine ecosystem
When Olive Ridley nested in Thiruvananthapuram last year, after a long break of 10 years, fisherman Ajith Sanghumugham, who is also a Wild Trust of India conservator, protected the eggs along with the help of the local community. “There were 109 eggs that hatched. We guarded the eggs and released the hatchlings into the ocean successfully. I have been into turtle conservation for three years and I feel only awareness can bring in change,”he says. Olive Ridlyes feed on jelly fish and play an important role in maintaining the health of the marine ecosystem, Ajith adds.
Ajith Shangumugham at Veliyaveli coast in Thiruvananthapuram
| Photo Credit:
Nirmal Harindran
Know your Olive Ridley
Of the seven species of marine turtles around the world, five have been reported from the 6,000-kilometre stretch of Indian coastline. “Four species have been reported from Kerala. But as of now, it is mainly Olive Ridley turtles which come to the Kerala coast. Rare exceptions are sightings of green turtles,” says Renjan Mathew Varghese, State Director, WWF-India, Kerala.
Olive Ridley turtles are the only ones that nest in Kerala. All species of marine turtles are listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
One Olive Ridley turtle can lay up to 150 eggs, which typically takes 45 days to hatch. The turtles crawl 15 to 20 metres into the seashore and dig pits up to 1.5 feet depth to lay the eggs.
