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Over 10,000 Olive Ridley Hatchlings Released At Chennai’s Besant Nagar Beach; IAS Shares Videos

A huge number of Olive Ridley hatchlings made their first voyage on Monday.

by Shreya Ghosh
Over 10,000 Olive Ridley Hatchlings Released At Chennai’s Besant Nagar Beach; IAS Shares Videos

April 1, 2024, was such a special day as the Forest Department took a splendid initiative for tiny baby turtles. More than 10,000 Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings were released into the sea for their first voyage. Officials and many groups of people worked on this project together to make it a major success. Let’s take a look at the hatchlings making their way into the sea.

Loads Of Olive Ridley Turtle Hatchlings To Witness!

Taking to the X platform, Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) shared some glimpses of the baby turtles on their way to be released into the water.

On Monday, a total of 10,082 Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings were released at the Besant Nagar Beach in Chennai. “Goosebumps to see the baby turtles making their first voyage into the sea from the Forest Department”, shared Supriya Sahu.

It was a spectacular event and a lot more special because these turtle species have been existing for millions of years. As shared by Supriya Sahu, this species dates back to more than 200 million years ago, during the era of presently extinct dinosaurs. It is really interesting, right?

According to a report by The Hindu, the Forest Department and non-governmental organisations collected more than 42,000 eggs. The volunteers gathered a massive number of eggs in Besant Nagar, Kovalam, Neelankarai, and Pulicat. Later, these eggs were given to the hatcheries located on different beaches.

Also read: From Goa To Odisha, 8 Places To Watch Turtle Hatchlings In India

Some Facts About These Turtles:

Olive Ridley Hatchlings
Picture credit- X/ Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias)

The IAS shared a few fascinating details about these baby turtles.

  • She added that these turtle hatchlings use carbuncle (a temporary egg tooth) when they need to break and open the shell.
  • Usually, these eggs need somewhere between 45 to 60 days to hatch and then they “emerge digging through the sand when their head comes out first”, according to the X post.
  • Olive Ridley turtles are known to reproduce once in 1 to 3 years.
  • The hatched ones have a yolk sac on their belly. This plays a significant role in giving them nutrients and helping them to swim in the sea.

Also read: Did You Know Velas, Maharashtra, Hosts A Turtle Festival Every Year? Here’s All About It

Have you ever seen these turtles anywhere?

Cover Image Courtesy: X/ Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias)

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