Avelino,
Are you aware of the Goa-based organization that might be involved in
the research of the Olive Ridley sea turtle? This is sad news that it is
disappearing from Goa's shores. I do believe that with a little effort
that the sea turtle population can be protected. I used to be involved
with an Olive Ridley conservation group in Madras in the late 1980s. One
of the solutions is to build turtle "hatcheries". (It is a bit of a
misnomer since the hatchery is merely a chain link fence enclosing an
area of about 5'x10', with a locked gate.) Every night a group of
"turtle watchers" must comb the beach for signs of a new nest. Nature
enthusiasts make good candidates for this volunteer job, which involves
spotting a turtle trail or a nest. The nest is identifiable for a brief
time by its slightly irregular surface. If this is not done regularly, a
couple of waves can wash away every trace of turtle activity.
The moment a nest is spotted it must be dug up and the eggs transferred
to the hatchery to be placed in a new nest. No tools required--a hole
about 8 inches wide and 15 inches deep is all you need. At the hatchery,
in the meantime, you wait for the hatch date and post somebody, a turtle
traffic cop, to direct the hatchlings to the sea. That is all.
Peter D'Souza
former environmentalist
Just six Olive Ridleys returned to nest at Morjim this season, down
from 31 in 2001. The solitary landings contrast with the awesome
arribadas (arrivals) shown in nature documentaries, in which nesting
turtles storm beaches in their thousands in a tactic known as
predator saturation. The only species that now arrives en masse at
Morjim in the September-March nesting season is the sun-starved
northern European tourist.
