Over the past few months, Vagator Beach in Goa has seen a remarkable increase in the number of Olive Ridley turtles coming ashore to lay eggs. According to the Goa Forest Department, a total of 1,227 Olive Ridley turtle eggs were laid across twelve separate nesting events and were subsequently relocated to the conservation centre at Morjim, Pernem, for safekeeping—a record for this location.
This surge in nesting is a positive sign for the conservation of Olive Ridley turtles, which are listed as vulnerable and face threats from habitat disturbance and human activity. The increased nesting has sparked calls from conservationists to grant Vagator official conservation status, similar to other protected turtle beaches in Goa, to ensure continued protection for these endangered turtles and their nesting grounds.
In the previous year (2024), the turtles laid eggs in 20 nesting events, totaling 1,868 eggs, compared to just 364 eggs across three nesting events in the 2022–2023 season. This upward trend shows that Vagator Beach can become an increasingly important site for the species.