Team Herald
CANACONA: A batch of Olive Ridley hatchlings entered the next stage of their lives as forest officials released around 200 of the young ones into the shallow waters of Arabian sea at Galgibaga beach during the last seven days.
Environmentalists however are not so delighted with the news of their release since till now, the Galgibaga beach, one of the three beaches reserved for turtle nesting in Goa has seen only three turtle nests.
Sources revealed that out of the three nests this season one each mother Ridley had visited Galgibaga, Rajbaga and Palolem respectively to lay eggs.
All the fragile eggs from the three nests were later retrieved by the guards employed by the forest department and kept at a secluded place under constant observation at Galgibaga beach sources said.
Out of the three nests 110 baby hatchlings forming the first pot were released on March 25 and about 90 were released in the wee hours of Tuesday from the second pit after about 53 days of natural incubation.
Eyewitnesses said that the eggs started hatching at about 9.30 pm on Monday and by 12 midnight about 90 hatchlings came out of the sand pit; all of them were later taken and released in the shallow waters of the Arabian Sea by the forest officials.
Sources said that during the last season 11 mother Ridleys had arrived and laid about 1,500 eggs at Galgibaga beach, and with still two months to go, the forest department and marine life enthusiasts are optimistic and anticipate that more Ridleys will arrive at Galgibaga beach.
