Hatchlings crawl into sea with help from forest department

PANAJI: Turtle hatchlings emerge from the nest and gingerly crawl into the sea, one after the other, in breathtaking spectacle. But forest department staff was surprised to find only a few stragglers appearing too sporadically on Mandrem beach.
“Only four Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings came out on Wednesday, April 2, and just two the next day,” a villager said.
The poor arrivals this season witnessed only a single nesting in Mandrem on February 10, as compared to four last year. Three more nestings were reported at nearby Morjim beach.
But on Thursday, April 4, forest officials realized that the hatchlings may be trapped inside. “They removed the top layer manually so as not to hurt the small ones and helped them come out,” a source said.
The sand had compacted due to some natural factors, rendering it difficult for hatchlings to crawl out. A total of 67 baby turtles of 120 that were laid were helped to find their way to the sea.
“The coarseness of the sand varies from spot to spot. It is a natural phenomenon and fine sand, though it is good, may get compacted. If it is coarse, it may not get compacted but won’t be suitable for nesting,” a villager said.
Mortality may be due to variation in temperature, as the mercury had risen or fallen drastically during February and March, affecting the incubation process.
Noisy tourism activity in the area, especially late night parties with loud music and fireworks, has affected the twin turtle nesting sites of Morjim and Mandrem in Pernem taluka.