Team Herald
MARGAO: Hundreds of Goans, especially those from Salcete, got an opportunity to see the rare sight of turtle hatchlings making a dash to sea soon after their birth, thanks to the nature preservation efforts of a fisherman from Mobor, Cavelossim.
Some time back, a fisherman from Cavelossim, early in the morning saw some turtle eggs exposed due to sand being washed away by the lapping waves. Apparently a turtle had laid the eggs in the night close to the shore and the waves had washed away the sand.
Even as some stray dogs came to take away the eggs, the fisherman called his son and both of them relocated the eggs a little away from the shore. They marked the area where the eggs were placed with a net and the fishermen monitored and kept watch on them along with his staff during the day and night too.
After about 45 days, the fisherman saw some turtle hatchlings crawling out and accordingly informed other villagers including the Lions Club of Cavelossim members who had helped him in his endeavour. The next day thanks to a post on social media hundreds of people gathered and saw the wonderful sight of the hatchlings crawling out of the sand and dashing to the lapping waves.
However, some people raised protests and accused the fisherman of endangering wild life and acting in violation of the Wild Life Act and thus people were offended and nobody bothered to check whether more hatchlings came out on the third day.
While around 121 eggs were relocated by the fisherman and his son on the two days altogether 51 hatchlings went out to sea.
Apparently the Conservator of Forests Mahesh Kumar Shambu praised the fisherman for his work in preserving the nature and the turtle. Incidentally, this is the second year in a row that the fisherman has protected eggs laid by turtles at the Cavelossim beach.
