Little Olive Ridleys crawl out into the sea

MANDREM: Hatchlings from only the second Olive Ridley turtle nesting of a delayed season at Morjim finally crawled to sea with the summer moving slowly towards its peak.
This season, the first turtle appeared for nesting on December 7, 2012, and laid 121 eggs. Around 106 hatchlings had emerged, and struggled back into the sea a few weeks ago.
But the second nesting was only on February 14, when 134 eggs were laid."On Wednesday evening, only 89 hatchlings came out and were helped into the sea," a source said.
Forest department guards and officials along with the residents of Temb, Morjim, assisted the tiny baby turtles into the water.
The third nesting of the season was on March 4, 2013, when a total of 130 eggs were laid. "This is the only one that is remaining," a source said.
The previous 2011-12 season was a better one with around 13 nestings on Morjim beach.
Climate change, increase in mechanized fishing ,illumination along the beach as well as human interference is attributed to the decline in arrivals of Olive Ridley turtles, a source from the range forest office, wildlife, Campal, told TOI.
Forest officials have intensified patrolling on the Morjim beach to protect turtle nests. A few local youth from Tempwaddo, Vithaldaswaddo and Maradiwaddo have also joined the fight, and are assisting forest guards Rajan Halarnkar, Trivikram Morje, Dyaneshwar Takkar, Ashok Poke and Avelin D'Silva, as they keep vigil round the clock for turtle nests at the beach.