The olive ridley sea turtle has an olive colored heart shaped shell, the Lepidochelys olivacea is one of the smallest species of sea turtle. It nests at several sites in the western Indian Ocean, Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The single most important breeding area for olive ridleys in the Indian Ocean along the Bay of Bengal is Orissa.
Though Hindu mythology worships sea turtles as an incarnation of one the gods. Most, fishing communities along the coast do not consume turtle eggs or meat. However, these endangered species remain threatened by various other factors like trawling, offshore drilling for oil and gas, and the proposed construction of an industrial port near the nesting sites.
This nesting beach in Rushikulya is one of the most important breeding areas for the Olive Ridley sea turtle in the Indian Ocean
Over 100,000 dead Olive Ridleys have been washed ashore on the beaches of Orissa in the last decade alone. The turtles are caught in the trawler’s nets being dragged far behind the boats. Unable to surface, the turtles suffocate to death and drown. Olive ridley turtles feed on invertebrates and may play important roles in both open ocean and coastal ecosystems.
Dead Olive Ridley turtles litter at a beach
S Murali Mohan Rao, [Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI) State vice-president] took part in the annual moonlight hiking from Tenneti Park to Rushikonda as part of the awareness programme on conservation of Olive Ridley turtles. More such programmes and enforcement of the ban on trawling are required to conserve these endangered turtles.
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