Mortality of olive ridley turtles during nesting season along Chennai coast

Sporadic nesting activities of olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) are often reported along the Chennai coast in northern Tamil Nadu. These turtles approach the beaches for nesting in the Tamil month of Panguni and have thus derived the local name “Panguni aamai”. As in every year, with the onset of annual nesting season in early 2017, mortality of turtles along the Chennai coast was recorded. From 02.01.2017 to 07.01.2017, a total of seven adult turtle carcasses were observed in 20km stretch of beach between Marina beach and Kanathur Reddykuppam.