SEA TURTLES

Though an engineer by profession, Arghya is a passionate nature and wildlife photographer. The thirst to witness the unusual facets of nature compels him to travel off the beaten track. Continuous quest for excellence in the field of wildlife photography has made him a contributing photographer to WWF-India. Some of his images have already been published in various magazines like BBC Wildlife, Sanctuary Asia, Discover India, SaevUs, Wild Planet Magazine, BirdWatching Daily USA and BBC Wildlife Magazine 2021 calendar. He bagged some accolades in this photographic journey from domestic and international photography competitions like India Photography Awards, Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards 2020, 31st and 32nd edition of Memorial Maria Luisa, Nature’s Best Photography Asia 2018, and The Royal Photographic Society’s International Images for Science 2017.

A male Olive Ridley coming closer to a female for mating in the open sea 

Sea turtles are mainly pelagic (living in the open sea/ocean) creatures. Generally there are seven species of sea turtles found in the world that inhabits our oceans, namely Olive Ridley, Kemp’s Ridley, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Green, Flatback and Loggerhead. Almost all of the species of sea turtles are listed as threatened.

Where do they live?

They are found in all major ocean basins but they typically inhabit tropical and subtropical waters though some individuals are known to be found in the colder waters of the Arctic. After being hatched, once they leave the beach as hatchlings, male sea turtles never return to land but the females do, only for nesting.

Why are they important to us?