The olive ridley sea turtles, or Pacific ridley sea turtles, are the second smallest sea turtles in the world. Their name comes from their olive green shell. The Velas Turtle Festival, also known as Velas Kasav Mahotsav, is an annual event dedicated to the conservation of these turtles. The festival is celebrated in Maharashtra’s Konkan belt. Here is everything you need to know about the Velas Turtle Festival 2023.
Everything About Velas Turtle Festival 2023
Velas is a quaint village in the Konkan belt of Maharashtra. The village gets filled with tourists during the Velas Turtle Festival every year. This annual event takes place on the Velas beach in Ratnagiri, which is just 220 km away from Mumbai.
It is one of the most celebrated eco-tourism festivals in India. With so many people thronging in for the festival, it is now popular both nationally and internationally. The Marine Conservation Organisation holds this turtle festival at Velas every year to raise awareness about the protection and conservation of these turtles and to encourage eco-tourism.
Velas Beach is that popular site where olive ridley turtles come for breeding. They are one of the most endangered species in the entire world. You should visit the beach during this festival to experience the breeding of these turtles.
Best Time To Visit Is March-April
The Velas Turtle Festival is that time of year when these little babies open their eyes to the world and are released into the sea. The sight is one to behold. The celebrations have no fixed date, and people tend to visit this place from February to April. The beach sees a huge inflow of tourists between March and April.
The turtles lay heaps of eggs in the dark on the western coast during February and March. Some people visit to take care of the small turtle hatchlings, others to photograph the two-legged critters as they make their way to the ocean, and still others to enjoy a guilt-free eco-tourism experience on the beach.
Have you ever been here? Let us know!
Cover Image Courtesy: www.velasturtlefestival.com