Marine Turtles

Due to the harvesting of Marine Turtles and their eggs and also their accidental mortality associated with shipping, trawling and other fishing operations, turtles have been threatened with extinction in all parts of the world.

Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM) started Marine turtle conservation in Maharashtra state on 1st October 2002. First year we protected 50 nests of Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and released 2734 hatchlings at Velas in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

In next three years we extended this project to the entire 720 km coastline of Maharashtra. In last four years we protected 152 nests and released 7610 hatchlings into the sea. We also arranged awareness programs on the entire coastline.

Turtle friend award, Turtle festival, publication of a booklet are the other related projects/programs that we undertook.

For details of the survey please follow these links:

Conservation Project Report (2002 to 2006)

Velas Turtle Festival 2009

The long awaited 4th turtle festival was successfully organized at Velas.

Nearly 350-400 nature lovers attended this event. Managing of such a big crowd at a remote place like Velas was really a challenge, but with the wholehearted support of residents of Velas and nature lovers from all over Maharashtra & abroad it was possible to carry out the program schedule successfully. Noted Marathi film actress Amruta Subhash was the chief guest.

Here are the highlights:

• The fourth Turtle Friend Award was bestowed upon Shri. Jayant D. Kanade, the man behind successful turtle conservation at Maral village from Raigad District.
• Second edition of the book on marine turtles in Marathi was released.
• A DVD on turtles - "Kasavaa Tujhyaach saathi" was published on the occasion.
• The release of newly born hatchlings to the sea was the high point of the festival.
• SNM has decided to raise a corpus fund of Rs. 25 Lakh as SNM Nature Conservation Fund for nature conservation activities to be carried out in future.
  Members of SNM contributed Rs. 1 Lakh as seed fund.
• In the village at the residence of Shri. Bala Upadhye a new Marine Turtle Information Centre was inaugurated at the hands of Shri. Balwant S. Barve, trustee of Barve Charitable Trust, Pune.

During the festival a few local residents offered their services for lodging & boarding of tourists in their houses. Local women Self Help Groups supplied snacks & tea at their stalls while youth groups arranged Kokam sharbat & Coconut water stalls.

One of the main objectives behind the festival was to create an alternate source of income for the local residents, and this objective was nearly fulfilled during the 2 days.

Click here for the festival photos.

Turtle Festival 2008

Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra had organized a Turtle Festival on 16th and 17th March 2008 at Velas, Tal. Mandangad jointly with the Forest Department and Grampanchayat Velas. The main aim of this festival was to get a better involvement of local people in the Turtle Conservation Project.

About the event

On 16th, nature lovers and tourists descended at the site from various parts of Maharashtra and even neighbouring states. Nearly 250 visitors comprising of housewives, students, doctors, engineers, journalists, photographers, social workers, nature researchers, teachers etc. attended the festival.

Following activities took place on that day:

• Dr. Ramdas Mahajan of Kolthare, nominated for the 3rd Turtle Friend Award, was felicitated by the chief guest Mr. M. N. Pawar, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer, Ratnagiri
• Mr. Parthiv Sanghavi, who translated the Marathi booklet on turtles into Gujarathi, was felicitated and the book was formally released
• A road show on turtles was enacted by the students of Velas school
• Turtle hatchlings were released into the sea, initiated by the chief guest
• A debate was held amongst tourists and SNM workers on the Turtle conservation movement
• Some more hatchlings were released during the afternoon session
• At night, visitors enjoyed viewing 2 films - one on the overall work done by SNM and a second called "Gharatyatil Pakshi" (Birds in Nest), which is about breeding of birds

The release of hatchlings into the sea was again carried out in the morning and evening on second day. A total of 121 hatchlings were released during the two days.

Summing up

One of our goals was to create a source of income for the locals by getting them to participate in the festival.

This goal was achieved due to the multitude of jobs at the festival site such as:

• Working as volunteers and sponsors for events
• Arranging food and accomodation for tourists
• Setting up of the program venue and canopy, erecting refreshment stalls, etc.

The participants of Velas village in the festival arrangement included 3 Mahila Bachat Gats, 2 youth mandals, Grampanchayat members, 12 local villagers engaged in looking after lunch/dinner and lodging arrangements and 5 youths for erecting the refreshment stalls.

There was an approximate turnover of Rs. 50,000/- during the two day festival in the small village of Velas. A lot of confidence and awareness about turtles has been created among villagers as they believe that Velas is becoming famous due to turtles and the Turtle Conservation project must be implemented at their village.
This we feel is a great achievement of this festival!