Olive Ridley Turtles

For some time now, we have been celebrating the annual migratory tradition of Olive Ridley turtles. Benita Sen looks into their nests.

- Benita Sen

June 11 is commemorated as Olive Ridley Day. The Olive Ridley Turtle or Lepidochelys olivacea is one of the smallest sea turtles. Also known as the Pacific Ridley sea turtle, the Olive Ridley—named for the greenish carapace or shell—has a habit that has made it famous. Once a year, its females come to shore to nest in droves. This practice of mass nesting is known as arribadas. India is not the only country where the Olive Ridley nests. It also nests in some parts of Africa, Australia, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Smaller nestings happen in Myanmar, Malaysia, and some other countries. The tiny hatchlings born from these eggs have a carapace or shell of about 1.5–2 inches and weigh barely 12 grams. From that tiny size, they grow to an average weight of between 34 kg and 45 kg. The Olive Ridley turtle eats smaller crustaceans, small fish, and some more marine creatures.

So, you may wonder why this turtle finds itself in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. To add to that, it is also listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list. Which means, we cannot have one too many of these creatures.

Shush!

In 2018, India celebrated when, after decades, an Olive Ridley nested on Mumbai’s Versova Beach, which had been cleaned of tonnes of garbage by volunteers. It is believed that the clean beach played the perfect host. In due course, about 80 hatchlings trundled off to the sea, with a little guidance from delighted human volunteers. However, the Olive Ridley connect with India is far larger, though, along the eastern coast. The western coast, according to one expert, generally gets green turtles.