During the nesting season, Tamil Nadu released the highest number of sea turtles into the Bay of Bengal. The state, which boasts the longest coastline in India at 1,076 km, is a regular nesting ground for marine turtles including Olive Ridley, Green Turtles, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, and Leatherback turtles.
Olive Ridley turtles are the most common visitors to the coast of Tamil Nadu. The preparations for the sea turtle season begin in November each year, conducted by the Forest department. This includes setting up temporary hatcheries, providing orientation programs for staff, conducting inter-departmental meetings, and carrying out night patrolling operations, as stated by Additional Chief Secretary of Environment and Climate Change, Supriya Sahu. This year, 185 field staff and 264 volunteers participated in the conservation efforts.
The department established 53 hatcheries in 13 districts during the current nesting season and collected a total of 2,363 nests with 258,775 eggs. These eggs were translocated to the hatcheries set up by the department. So far, the department has released 215,778 hatchlings this year, an increase from last year’s 182,917. Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, and Chennai recorded a large number of hatchlings following the conservation exercise.
To further support the conservation efforts, the government has announced the establishment of Sea Turtle Conservation Centres in Chennai and Nagapattinam districts.
