South Goa logs over 6k olive ridley eggs, half of last season

Canacona: As the olive ridley turtle nesting season approaches its end, 4,454 hatchlings have been released into the sea from the Agonda nursery which protected 51 nests.

Around 1,719 hatchlings were released from 19 turtle pits at the Galgibaga hatchery. While all 19 turtle pits have hatched at Galgibaga, only one turtle nest from Agonda is yet to hatch. This year, fewer eggs were laid and a lower number of hatchlings were released as a result.

RFO Rajesh Naik, who mans the South marine range for turtle hatcheries, said that last season (2024-2025) produced 9,841 hatchlings from both Agonda and Galgibaga. Last year, there were 188 turtle nests with a total of 19,191 eggs, which is more than this year’s 70 olive ridley nests, which had protected 7,693 eggs.

Naik said that it is not necessary that all turtles turn up every year for laying eggs but he hoped for a better season next year. He said that climatic conditions affect turtle egg production.

In the current season that began in Dec 2025, the first turtle appeared on Dec 11 at the Agonda hatchery, while Galgibaga got its first visitor on Dec 30.

Naik told TOI that the olive ridley turtle season in Goa starts in Nov-Dec and ends in April or late May.

He added that the flippered creatures can even arrive in May to lay eggs.

Such hatcheries, however, may not be successful as the incubation period falls during the monsoon.