With the annual nesting season of the Olive Ridley sea turtles now active, wildlife authorities in Chennai have launched a significant conservation drive. To safeguard the precious eggs and enhance the survival rates of the hatchlings, dedicated hatcheries have been operationalized at four strategic points along the city's coastline.
Strategic Locations for Turtle Protection
The protective hatcheries have been set up at Pulicat in Tiruvallur district, and on three of Chennai's popular beaches: Besant Nagar, Neelankarai, and Kovalam. Chennai's Wildlife Warden, Manish Meena, confirmed that these facilities will remain functional until May, which coincides with the end of the egg-hatching season on the Tamil Nadu coast.
This initiative is part of a broader state-wide effort. Similar hatcheries are being established in other crucial coastal districts, including Villupuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari, to cover all major nesting stretches. The focus is sharp, given last season's data: Cuddalore district recorded the highest number of Olive Ridley eggs, with a staggering 15,226 eggs collected just in January.
Active Patrols and Egg Relocation Efforts
Field staff in Chennai have intensified their conservation work, conducting regular beach patrols and organized turtle walks. The Besant Nagar–Neelankarai stretch is under particular surveillance. These efforts have already borne fruit. During a recent patrol, forest frontline staff successfully located two nests—one at Uroor Kuppam in Besant Nagar and another at Thiruvanmiyur.
A total of 94 eggs were carefully collected from the Besant Nagar nest, while 111 eggs were retrieved from the Thiruvanmiyur site. All these eggs were promptly transported to the Besant Nagar hatchery. There, they were reburied in specially designed, protected pits that closely mimic the natural nesting conditions required for successful incubation, which typically takes 45 to 60 days.
A Crucial Shift in Release Timing
In a key change to past practices, officials have implemented a new protocol for releasing the hatchlings. Hatchlings are now released exclusively during twilight hours. Previously, releases sometimes occurred during daylight, leaving the tiny turtles highly vulnerable to predators like crows, dogs, and other birds.
A wildlife official explained the rationale behind this shift: "Now we ensure there are no predatory birds or dogs around before releasing them." This simple but critical change in timing has already shown positive results, helping a greater number of hatchlings complete their treacherous journey from the nest to the sea safely.
Conservationists are optimistic that these combined measures—the hatcheries, vigilant patrols, and safer release times—will lead to lower mortality rates this season. Their hope is bolstered by the grim comparison to last year, when approximately 1,200 turtles were found dead along the coast in just the first half of January. The current multi-pronged strategy represents a determined effort to reverse that trend and secure a brighter future for the endangered Olive Ridley turtles of Tamil Nadu.
