Sunday, December 21, 2025
    ADVT 
    India

    PICS: Olive Ridley Turtles Hatch At Mumbai’s Versova Beach For The First Time In 20 Years

    Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 Mar, 2018 12:27 PM

      For the first time in 20 years, at least 80 baby Olive Ridley turtles were spotted at Versova beach on Thursday morning, making their way to the sea.

       

      Morning walkers and beach clean-up crusaders were pleasantly surprised on Thursday when they went to Versova beach and spotted newly hatched Olive Ridley turtles waddling into the sea. The hatchlings were first spotted by beach clean-up crusader Afroz Shah and his team around 9.30am near Sagar Kutir Wadi.

       

      Conservationists and forest officials who greeted the news with scepticism, however, confirmed on Friday that the endangered species of turtles had indeed chosen the city’s Versova beach to nest.

       

      According to information put out by the Mangrove Cell of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, eggshells of 103 Olive Ridley hatchlings were found buried in the sand on Versova beach. While 12 eggs had still not hatched, four eggs were broken with baby turtles still inside them.

       
       

      Some 80 of the eggs hatched and the young turtles waddled into the sea. Volunteers who had taken up the task of cleaning up the beach more than two years ago, ensured that the newly hatched turtles were not hunted by crows or other birds of prey.

       

      “Fantastic News for Mumbai. We got back Olive Ridley Sea turtles after 20 years. Historic Moment. Nested and Hatched at our beach. We facilitate their journey to ocean. Constant cleaning helps marine species,” Afroz Shah, an environmental activist who lead the clean-up of Versova beach, first broke the hatching of Olive Ridley turtles on social media.

       
       
       
       
       
       

      According to forest officials, Olive Ridley turtles return to nest at the same beaches were they were born. The turtles come to the beach on the dead of night and bury the eggs deep in the sand. When the eggs hatch, the hatchings scurry out of the pit and make their way en masse into the sea.

       

      Environmentalists say, Mumbai’s beaches were nesting sites for Olive Ridley turtles years ago.

      Prev Next

      MORE India ARTICLES

      Newly Wed Bengaluru Woman Commits Suicide Allegedly Over Dowry Harassment

      Newly Wed Bengaluru Woman Commits Suicide Allegedly Over Dowry Harassment
      Vanitha, 28, daughter of a corporator in Mysuru, was found hanging from the ceiling of her room last night.

      Newly Wed Bengaluru Woman Commits Suicide Allegedly Over Dowry Harassment

      Amarinder Singh Signs Papers Proposing Rahul Gandhi's Name As Congress Chief

      Amarinder Singh said he had known Rahul Gandhi since the latter was a little boy and could see even then that the youngster would one day rise to the top.

      Amarinder Singh Signs Papers Proposing Rahul Gandhi's Name As Congress Chief

      Kumar Vishwas Talks Of 'AAP 2', Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav Return

      Kumar Vishwas Talks Of 'AAP 2', Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav Return
      AAP founder members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were sacked by the party in April 2015 for "anti-party" activities after they questioned party supremo Arvind Kejriwal's style of functioning.

      Kumar Vishwas Talks Of 'AAP 2', Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav Return

      India Allows 1,300 Buddhists From Myanmar's Rakhine State To Enter Mizoram

      India Allows 1,300 Buddhists From Myanmar's Rakhine State To Enter Mizoram
      This comes nearly a month after the Union Home Ministry had directed the northeastern states to take strict measures to prevent Rohingyas -- who are Muslims -- from entering Indian territory despite persecution by the Myanmar regime. 

      India Allows 1,300 Buddhists From Myanmar's Rakhine State To Enter Mizoram

      Supreme Court Says ‘Sorry’ To Woman For 13-Year Delay In Case

      Supreme Court Says ‘Sorry’ To Woman For 13-Year Delay In Case
      The case, which was stuck in legal tangles, had reached the apex court in 2009 and the woman, who had initially lodged the complaint in 2004 against her own brothers over alleged grabbing of her shop, had now passed away and was represented by her legal representative.

      Supreme Court Says ‘Sorry’ To Woman For 13-Year Delay In Case

      Indian Teen Creates Miracle Device That Detects Heart Attack 6 Hours Before It Occurs

      Indian Teen Creates Miracle Device That Detects Heart Attack 6 Hours Before It Occurs
      Manoj, a class tenth student from Tamil Nadu has developed a new technique that can non-invasively detect the risk of a silent heart attack - something that can save many lives in rural areas.

      Indian Teen Creates Miracle Device That Detects Heart Attack 6 Hours Before It Occurs

      PrevNext