Maharashtra: Tagged turtle returns to lay eggs; confirms nesting behaviour

Savani, the second adult Olive Ridley turtle tagged and released on January 25 from Anjarle beach in Ratnagiri district, has nested (laid eggs) for the second, possibly the third time in the same nesting season on an adjacent shore – Kelshi.

Savani has laid 76 eggs on Kelshi; at Anjarle it had laid 87 eggs, said the Mangrove Foundation, an autonomous body under the state government. ‘With this information, we have understood the nesting behaviour of Olive Ridley turtles. And it could be confirmed that they nest twice or thrice in the same nesting season,” tweeted Mangrove Foundation.

Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, and the Mangrove Foundation had hypothesised that Olive Ridley turtles nest multiple times in the same season.

Dr R Suresh Kumar, senior scientist from the Department of Endangered Species Management, WII, Dehradun, monitoring the tagged turtles said this is the first confirmed record of a turtle nesting again in the same season. “For the first time, we have confirmed a record of a turtle nesting again,” said Kumar.

“We were lucky that a staffer was present to record this. People have concerns about the tag and its impact on the turtles. But here we have a turtle that is returning to the beach and laying eggs. It indicates that the tag/machine is not altering the behaviour of the turtle or hindering its movement.”

Five turtles— two on January 25 and three on February 13—were tagged with platform transmitter terminals, which were fitted with epoxy resin on their carapace (hard shell).

Since they were tagged, the turtles have remained and moved in the nearshore water (10 km within the shoreline). Kumar, who has studied turtles along the east coast, hypothesised that they may remain in the shallow water waiting for the ocean currents to begin their journeys to Lakshadweep or drift towards Oman, Somali coastline and return in October-November.