Thursday, May 15, 2008

Lucky few


Lucky few
Originally uploaded by Pandiyan
Newly hatched Olive Ridley Turtles being released to the sea. They literally run a gauntlet before they reach adulthood. Not many survive.

Chennai is one of the few beaches Olive Ridley turtles like. They come every year. Though the mass nestings don't happen in Chennai (Orissa in India sees it every few years) the Turtle Walkers in Chennai see about 100 nests every year.

These people patrol the beaches in the night, pick up the eggs, keep them safely in a hatchery and release the young ones into the sea.

It is said that the females come to the same beach every time they lay eggs. The fast-growing city with posh seafront properties (many of them illegal as per Indian Law) and powerful fishing trawlers (which need to have a Turtle Excluder Device but don't) is seeing fewer numbers of nests every year.

Turtle Walkers gamely carry on. Interestingly many are young students. Perhaps turtles will survive.

Uploaded by Pandiyan on 14 May 08, 11.24PM IST.

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