CANACONA: An Olive Ridley sea turtle visited the nesting at Galgibaga beach on New Year’s Eve and laid 116 eggs before leaving the beach. The eggs were later taken by the forest officials to a safe enclosure for incubation.
Eyewitnesses said that a female Olive Ridley sea turtle slowly crawled up the beach in the wee hours of Wednesday and dug about one foot conical nest with its hind flippers and laid 116 eggs. The turtle left after covering the eggs with sand.
This is the first incidence of turtle nesting in Canacona taluka, which otherwise witnesses around 30 Olive Ridley nesting in a season.
It is pertinent to note that the nesting season for Olive Ridleys, which normally starts in November, has been delayed in the last few years and now they arrive late December or beginning of January.
Scientists attribute this delay to change in climatic conditions.
Sea turtle enthusiasts in Canacona taluka were ecstatic over the fact that a female Olive Ridley arrived at the Galgibaga beach, which has been reserved as a turtle nesting site together with Agonda beach.
The number of female Olive Ridleys visiting Galgibaga and Agonda beaches for nesting during last few years has increased.
