Know your species

Maharashtra is a major nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles, shares Sumedha Korgaonkar, PhD scholar, Wildlife Institute of India. “The last noted sighting of this species in Mumbai was in 1985. Now, they can be found in Velas, Anjarle and Guhagar, where the turtles come to nest during  the winter,” she reveals.
Mohan Upadhye, researcher, Mangrove Foundation, and member of Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra, Chiplun, tells us, “We got three nests of green sea turtles in Sindhudurg in 2020-21. Before the lockdown, we found one nest in Anjarle and another one in Ratnagiri. Since then, we have kept a watch on every beach and have informed all beach managers to stay alert.”

Hawksbill sea turtle. Representation pics