First batch of turtle hatchlings released into sea at Besant Nagar

Chennai: Wildlife officials in Chennai released 46 Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings from nests nurtured at the forest department's Besant Nagar hatchery during the ongoing nesting season.The hatchlings emerged from a clutch of 94 eggs, and officials said the remaining young turtles were expected to break free of their shells within a day, with more likely to follow suit in the coming days.
State forest secretary Supriya Sahu described the emergence as a heartening development, underscoring the sustained efforts being made to protect the vulnerable Olive Ridley turtles along Chennai's coastline.So far this season, authorities identified 209 nests across the city's beaches, yielding 24,531 eggs that were carefully collected and relocated to hatcheries to shield them from predators, high tides, and human disturbances.Encouraging trends were also reported from neighbouring Tiruvallur district, where Pulicat's beaches recorded 93 nests containing 10,664 eggs. Chennai wildlife warden Manish Meena said the numbers reflected the growing success of conservation interventions and community participation.Officials recalled that just a few years ago, the discovery of wild nests along the Pulicat seashore was a rare and noteworthy event, with hatchlings from only a couple of nests managing to reach the sea on their own.Conservationists attributed this season's gains to a marked reduction in the mortality of nesting turtles, particularly during their journey to shore. About 10 days ago, forest staff and volunteers collected more than 2,000 eggs from 18 nests along Elliot's and Marina beaches, a clear indication that adult turtles were reaching the coastline without being ensnared in trawlers or abandoned fishing gear, known as ghost nets. Such hazards historically contributed to high mortality, directly affecting nesting numbers and reproductive success.Over the past two nesting seasons, Feb consistently saw a surge in identified nests compared to earlier years, a trend conservationists linked to intensified patrolling and stricter enforcement of fishing restrictions within the prohibited five-nautical-mile zone. Joint patrols by forest and fisheries departments, they said, must continue until the end of the nesting season to further curb turtle deaths.From Nov to March, volunteers and forest personnel conduct nightly beach patrols, relocating eggs to protected hatcheries where survival rates exceed 90%. Together, these sustained efforts are steadily turning Chennai's shores into safer breeding grounds for one of the ocean's most threatened inhabitants.