Olive Ridleys head to Sacramento Island

The place is a major nesting centre for the turtles in East Godavari district

An Olive Ridley turtle in the process of laying eggs at the Sacramento Island in East Godavari district.

The moon was playing hide and seek behind the passing clouds, while the stars were gleaming under the skyline of the Sacramento Island — named after a ship that grounded on the nearby shoal some 150 years ago — a couple of nights before the new moon day. Except for the cool breeze emanating from the nearby confluence of the Godavari into the Bay of Bengal, silence prevailed on the island that remained the major nesting centre for Olive Ridley turtles in East Godavari district.

Located about 80 km from the district headquarters, the island became the breeding ground for about 450 turtles last year. After Gahirmatha in Odisha, East Godavari emerged the second largest breeding ground for the protected turtles originated from the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. In all, over 1,500 turtles laid their eggs here between December and March last year and about 1.2 lakh hatchlings were released into the sea. “The turtles prefer darkness and come here in large numbers to lay eggs during new moon days,” observed Chinta Veerababu, a local fisherman.

A movement in the sandy stretch from the seaside drew the attention of a small gathering that was waiting curiously to witness the rare spectacle, and found that the moving heap was nothing but a female turtle. Curiosity among the onlookers increased when the 50 kg reptile stopped moving and started digging a nest in the sand with its flippers. The nest was readied within 15 minutes on which the female stood comfortably and started laying eggs in bunches. There were two to five eggs in each bunch and the turtle was groaning with pain throughout the session that lasted for about an hour. As the process was completed, the turtle closed the nest properly to protect its eggs from the predators and left for its native ocean. “Each female lays 90 to 120 eggs and the hatchlings will be out in six weeks,” explained A. Sunil Kumar, Forest Range Officer of the Wildlife wing.

Conservation

The department, in association with the UNDP-funded EGREE Foundation, has been making arrangements for

in situ and ex situ conservation of the reptiles. This year, 320 turtles laid their eggs so far in six different locations, where the department has appointed 52 fishermen to take care of the conservation. “Ironically, we have spotted about 120 carcasses so far this year, which is a major cause for concern. Some turtles even lost their flippers to mechanised fishing boats that remained the killers of these giant turtles,” Mr. Sunil Kumar pointed out.

The last turtle laid its eggs on the island just before sunrise, taking the total to 30 for the day. “The number will be manifold in the coming week,” said Mr. Veerababu, while vacating the makeshift tent.