Olive Ridley turtles go beyond usual nesting sites in Goa this year

The lifeguards are part of Goa’s six-year-old marine stranding network is a collaborative effort between the forest department and volunteers provided by Drishti Marine Foundation and an NGO, Terra Conscious.

PANAJI: Olive Ridley turtles have gone beyond their usual nesting beaches in Goa and set up nests along beaches frequented by tourists such as the Vagator, Arambol beaches in north Goa and Cavelossim in south Goa.

Olive Ridley turtles may be changing their behaviour and heading to other beach stretches, said Navin Aswathi

The nestings were noticed by lifeguards who handed over 103 eggs to the state forest department.

“We have shifted the eggs to our turtle nesting sites where we have a permanent presence and they are protected 24-hours,” Aniket Gaonkar, deputy conservator of forests, said.

“Due to increasing anthropogenic stressors , sea turtles may be changing their behaviour and heading to other beach stretches,” Navin Aswathi, the head of the lifeguarding agency, said.

The lifeguards are part of Goa’s six-year-old marine stranding network is a collaborative effort between the forest department and volunteers provided by Drishti Marine Foundation and an NGO, Terra Conscious.

The Goa forest department has been carrying out sea turtle conservation programmes along the four beach stretches -- Morjim and Ashvem in north Goa, and Agonda and Galgibaga in south Goa since the year 1997. There are fluctuating trends of nesting as seen on all beach stretches with the number of nests going up to 30 nests per year on each identified beach stretch.