Walk to raise awareness on Olive Ridley turtles

Visakhapatnam: Wildlife Conservation through Research and Education (WCTRE) conducted a walk to witness the arrival of the migratory Olive Ridley sea turtles on Sunday.

Members of WCTRE conducted the walk to raise awareness of the turtles that visit the Eastern coast of India to lay eggs and encourage people to contribute towards conservation efforts.

Started at 5 am at Jodugullapalem Beach, the walk continued till RK Beach. The volunteers and the WCTRE team deposited the eggs collected by the Forest Department at the hatchery.

Close to 40 people took part in the programme and for most of them, it was the maiden trip to the hatchery.

Marine Biologist and WCTRE member Chetan addressed the participants on the importance of conserving the turtles and the threats that they continue to face.

The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department is extensively working towards monitoring the turtles' nests and collecting the eggs. When the eggs hatch, the Forest Department releases the hatchlings back into the ocean. Currently, the department has set-up hatcheries at RK Beach, Jodugullapalem, Mangamaripeta and Muthyalammapalem.

In future, the voluntary organisation plans to conduct similar awareness walks. Those interested to take part in their endeavours can contact the team by sending a mail to info@wctre.org or dialling 90527 97234.