PANAJI/CANACONA: The current nesting season is turning out to be a massive record for Goa’s nearly three decades-old Olive Ridley turtle conservation, as the number of pits has crossed a double century-mark – 112 nests in North Goa and 100 nests in Canacona.
In a flurry of nesting activity, the last two days have witnessed unprecedented arrivals of the flippered visitors not only at Morjim beach, but also on other beaches of North Goa.From a total of 93 nests till Thursday, the number shot up by 19 on the weekend.
“A total of 12 nests were laid by turtles on Morjim beach, two each on Candolim and Vagator and one each at Arambol, Mandrem and Calangute beaches,” a marine worker said.
At South Goa’s twin sites of Agonda and Galgibaga, turtles have been making a beeline, too, and forest officials are viewing the 100 turtle nests so far this season as an all-time record in 25 years of turtle conservation at these beaches.
“The team of forest guards and rescuers deserve this credit, because it’s their efforts that bore fruit, their extra vigilance kept the poachers away and thereby they were successful in their ongoing project. They did their duty with responsibility,” said range forest officer, South Goa (marine range), Rajesh Naik.
Whereas a record 157 nests — 69 in North Goa and 88 at Canacona’s beaches — had been laid last season, this time the nesting rate has soared with 212 during nearly three decades of turtle conservation. Pernem’s Morjim and Mandrem beaches and Canacona’s Agonda and Galgibaga have been designated as turtle nesting sites under Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) 2011 notification.
Though in the past, the turtles had been mostly surfacing at these nesting sites, this season, the entire shoreline in the North seemed to have beckoned the reptiles. “This year many turtle nests have been relocated from Candolim, Vagator, Calangute and Arambol beaches, where in the past, there used to be a few nestings,” a forest official said. Naik said that the 2022-23 season yielded 89 turtle nests, with 21 and a total of 2,601 eggs preserved at Galgibaga. In all, 2,342 turtle babies emerged from the nests.
Agonda hatchery harboured 68 turtle pits, producing 6,331 babies from 7,394 eggs, that were protected by the wildlife staff round-the- clock. However, during current season till date, Agonda has the bulk of the nests 73 with 8,057 eggs, while Galgibaga has 27 turtle nests with 2,733 eggs. The latest arrivals were on Saturday — three turtles at Agonda and four at Galgibaga beach.
Asked about the survival rate of the hatchlings released in sea, he said that the hatchlings must escape natural predators like crabs, fish and birds, and survival rate is 70 to 75%. Naik said that all this was possible because of active support from his seniors — Aniket Naikgaonkar, deputy conservator of forests and eco-tourism – South and Damodar Salelkar, assistant conservator of forests and eco-tourism – South.
In a flurry of nesting activity, the last two days have witnessed unprecedented arrivals of the flippered visitors not only at Morjim beach, but also on other beaches of North Goa.From a total of 93 nests till Thursday, the number shot up by 19 on the weekend.
“A total of 12 nests were laid by turtles on Morjim beach, two each on Candolim and Vagator and one each at Arambol, Mandrem and Calangute beaches,” a marine worker said.
At South Goa’s twin sites of Agonda and Galgibaga, turtles have been making a beeline, too, and forest officials are viewing the 100 turtle nests so far this season as an all-time record in 25 years of turtle conservation at these beaches.
“The team of forest guards and rescuers deserve this credit, because it’s their efforts that bore fruit, their extra vigilance kept the poachers away and thereby they were successful in their ongoing project. They did their duty with responsibility,” said range forest officer, South Goa (marine range), Rajesh Naik.
Whereas a record 157 nests — 69 in North Goa and 88 at Canacona’s beaches — had been laid last season, this time the nesting rate has soared with 212 during nearly three decades of turtle conservation. Pernem’s Morjim and Mandrem beaches and Canacona’s Agonda and Galgibaga have been designated as turtle nesting sites under Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) 2011 notification.
Though in the past, the turtles had been mostly surfacing at these nesting sites, this season, the entire shoreline in the North seemed to have beckoned the reptiles. “This year many turtle nests have been relocated from Candolim, Vagator, Calangute and Arambol beaches, where in the past, there used to be a few nestings,” a forest official said. Naik said that the 2022-23 season yielded 89 turtle nests, with 21 and a total of 2,601 eggs preserved at Galgibaga. In all, 2,342 turtle babies emerged from the nests.
Agonda hatchery harboured 68 turtle pits, producing 6,331 babies from 7,394 eggs, that were protected by the wildlife staff round-the- clock. However, during current season till date, Agonda has the bulk of the nests 73 with 8,057 eggs, while Galgibaga has 27 turtle nests with 2,733 eggs. The latest arrivals were on Saturday — three turtles at Agonda and four at Galgibaga beach.
Asked about the survival rate of the hatchlings released in sea, he said that the hatchlings must escape natural predators like crabs, fish and birds, and survival rate is 70 to 75%. Naik said that all this was possible because of active support from his seniors — Aniket Naikgaonkar, deputy conservator of forests and eco-tourism – South and Damodar Salelkar, assistant conservator of forests and eco-tourism – South.