Trasi beach in Kundapur taluk that was the nesting ground for Olive Ridley turtles for over 25 years, hosted a Ridley on Tuesday, when it laid eggs after a gap of 14 years.
Starting point for the Trasi-Maravanthe beachfront where National Highway 66 passes along, the Trasi beach had been the nesting space for Olive Ridley turtles for many years.
According to Dinesh Saranga of FSL India, an NGO engaged in environment protection in Kundapur, local fisherman Sandeep Kharvi found the nest on Tuesday. He was also the witness to the egg laying process by the lone turtle.
Immediately, he informed the concerned, including the Forest Department, FSL India, Reef Watch NGO, and others about the rare development.
Gopal Kharvi, Rajesh Kharvi, Subramanya Kharvi Maravanthe, Anand Balegar from forest department, Venkatesha and Mr. Saranga from FSL arrived at the spot and provided necessary protection to the hatchery.
Volunteers protecting the hatchling nest after an Olive Ridley turtle laid eggs on Trasi beach near Kundapur on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Mr. Saranga felt the turtle that turned up to lay eggs at beach could have been one of the many baby turtles that hatched in 2011, when the late Dasimane Venkata Kharvi of Maravanthe used to look after the nests.
Mr. Kharvi had been the savior of turtles along the Maravathe-Trasi beachfront for over 25 years before his demise in May 2021 at the age of 87 years.
The nest found on Trasi beach was the 10th one of the current hatching season in the region with the ninth being found near Chakreshwari Temple on Kodi beach in Kundapur on Monday.
Babu Mogaveera, Santhosh, Gururaj Naik, Mr. Saranga and Venkatesh from FSL and Ranjith Poojari from the Forest Department built the hatchery for the eggs with necessary protection.
