The first nesting site in Kundapur was recorded on January 21 and more than 1,200 eggs are being protected in first of its kind in-situ conservation in the state.
UDUPI: The 11th olive ridley sea turtle nesting site near the Kodi lighthouse in Kundapur was recorded on Wednesday. The department of forest ecology and environment has come forward to protect this site and hatching from the first batch is expected to begin from March 8.
Experts feel the beach clean-up drives have played an important role in the sighting and conservation of olive ridley sea turtle nesting sites. Dr Dinesh Kumar YK, DCF, forest ecology and environment told TOI, probably after several years, olive ridley sea turtle nesting sites are being reported on Karnataka’s coast. “This has not happened in some of the pristine beaches of Uttara Kannada too. We are spreading awareness through beach adoption programmes and beach cleanup drives are being held since November,” he said.
Conservationists at the site of the second nest of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles discovered at Kodi beach in Kundapur of Udupi district on Sunday.
UDUPI: It was a double delight for marine conservationists when fisherman Babu Mogaveera stumbled on to the second nest of Olive Ridley sea turtles in a span of 48-hours.
The sighting of a second nest on Kodi beach on Sunday, 50-metres South of where the first nest was spotted gave the conservationists a cause for cheer. Officials from the forest department have initiated conservation measures for the second nest for these endangered species.
Even this nest like the one spotted on Friday has around 100 eggs, volunteers from FSL India, an international voluntary organisation working towards turtle conservation, said. The volunteers will monitor the eggs for 52-days and ensure they hatch safely. Main threat for the eggs is stray dogs that dig up the nest on smelling the odour. This activity of dogs sniffing around is also a tell-tale sign fo