Olive ridley turtle found dead on Kadambadi beach in Nagapattinam

An olive ridley sea turtle was found washed ashore on the Kadambadi beach in on Sunday morning.

Forest Department officials said the carcass was buried on the beach as per the protocol. December to March is the peak nesting season for olive ridley turtles along the Tamil Nadu coast.

A senior Forest Department official said so far this season, 11 olive ridley turtles had been washed ashore dead in the district, with most suspected to have been hit by fishing vessels. Despite repeated warnings and awareness campaigns among fishermen, such incidents continue to occur, the official said.

The department has stepped up coastal patrols, particularly from 3 a.m. onwards, to look out for injured turtles or those that can be rescued. “In many cases, turtles are struck by fishing vessels and are found in a decomposed state, making even post-mortem examination impossible,” the official added.

Meanwhile, the Forest Department has collected around 15,000 olive ridley eggs from various nesting sites and relocated them to hatcheries. The hatchlings are expected to be released into the sea by the middle of this month.