Appointment with the Olive Ridley babies

Sunday 5-15pm:  Walk through the Urur Olcott Kuppam towards the SSTCN hatchery, to see the baby turtles being released.  Unfortunately, only my mobile phone camera at hand.  

Sunday evening, at the turtle hatchery on Elliots beach outside the TS gate

Checking to see if the eggs have hatched.

The eggs take 45 days to hatch we were told. Each of those poles marks the spot where there is a clutch of eggs.

The first few hatchlings

As soon as they are taken out, they seemed stunned and lay still without moving.

More of them....

See the hatchlings as they begin to move!

A volunteer explains about the sac on the tummy of the turtle which serves as nutrition, until the hatchlings get to the water.  They need to get to the water within 24 hours of birth.  Survival rate into full grown adult is only one in 1,000, under normal circumstances, they told us.  But with all the lights, fishing nets and trawlers, it has become one in 2,000.  

If this hatchery is releasing say a 100 a day, on the average in breeding season, then does that mean that each season is resulting in only one adult?  That is appalling.  I hope I have my numbers wrong...

The wonderful designs on the sand made by their flippers and bellies.

The sand is smoothened to allow them an easy waddle to the waterline.

Off they went!

Unfortunately, it was not to be.  After this, they were all hastily recollected, poor things, and placed back into the basket, as a phone call came saying that the turtles were to take part in a research on their reactions to different colours of light.  

I wished I could tell the babies to calm down and relax, but they continued their frenzied movement in the basket.  We left, (my son and I) as it got dark, and it would be another couple of hours before they would be actually let out again.  I hope they were not too tired to make their journey into the sea...

Maybe I will go for the complete walk next time - from Neelangarai to Besant Nagar, though the thought of no sleep is a bit intimidating - the walks are through the night.

Nice to see the amazingly dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who do this day in and day out, year after year.  Low budget, no fanfair, minimal overheads, and a lot achieved.