Olive ridley turtle nesting sees an uptick in coastal Karnataka

THE olive ridley turtle nesting has been rapidly increasing with many turtles coming ashore to nest in the coastal taluks of Uttara Kannada district, especially at Ravindranath Tagore Beach in Karwar town.

- SUBHASH CHANDRA N S @Karwar

Despite the threat of disappearing reefs and marine resources due to global warming and depleting marine resources, the nesting is on the rise. Many adult turtles are coming to the shores of the west coast, particularly in Karnataka at Udupi, Mangaluru, Kundapur and coasts of Uttara Kannada, which include Bhatkal, Honnavar, Kumta, Ankola and Karwar.

For the first time, about 15 nests have been rescued and protected on Ravindranath Tagore beach.

"This is for the first time that so many nests have been found on the Ravindranath Tagore beach. Last year, we found six nests," Shanawaz Rafiq, Senior Research Fellow, Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Cell, Karwar, Karnataka Forest Department told TNIE. Rafiq and others are constantly keeping a watch and carrying out a study of the turtles here.