The riddle of the ocean

The Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), is found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is named for the generally greenish color of its skin and shell, or carapace. It weighs up to 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and reaches only about 2 feet (65 centimeters) in shell length.

The These turtles are solitary, preferring the open ocean. They migrate hundreds or even thousands of miles every year, and come together as a group only once a year for the arribada, when females return to the beaches where they hatched and lumber onshore, sometimes in the thousands, to nest.

During nesting, they use the wind and the tide to help them reach the beach. Females lay about a hundred eggs, but may nest up to three times a year. The nesting season is from June to December. When the eggs hatch, millions of turtle hatchlings emerge and return to the sea.

Olive Ridley sea turtle nests at several sites in the western Indian Ocean, Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The single most important breeding area for Olive Ridleys in the Indian Ocean along the Bay of Bengal is the Odisha coastline.

Though the Olive Ridley is widely considered the most abundant of the marine turtles, it is facing several threats today. Turtle eggs are taken and nesting females are slaughtered for their meat and skin. Fishing nets also take a large toll, frequently snagging and killing these turtles.

Further, all stages of a sea turtle’s life are affected by environmental conditions such as temperature—even the sex of offspring. The warmer the nest beach conditions, the more female hatchlings emerge from the eggs. Unusually warm temperatures caused by climate change could be disrupting normal sex ratios, resulting in fewer male baby turtles.

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The sun was setting, and Madhav was back on the beach. He was old, haggard and bent over now, with not much strength left in his limbs. His eyesight was poor too, and he had a bad cough. Sometimes, he found himself gasping for breath after a long bout of coughing, which was of course, bad for business, as it scared away the children.

But Madhav continued to be a peddler, selling balloons of various hues, whistles, and small, bright-coloured toys for kids in all the villages of Odisha. He peered eagerly at the kids who came to buy his ware, hoping to spot that familiar face he had lost long ago. But despite his search of twenty five years, he hadn’t found it.

But Madhav had stopped complaining long ago. His heart had become numb, though his eyes still looked ahead in anticipation. His legs still carried him to the beach every evening, and his mouth chanted “Vaasu, Vaasu”, involuntarily every night as he drifted off to sleep.

To everyone else on the beach, the waters of the sea were a source of joy. But the waves infuriated Madhav, and the sand irritated him. Yet, he continued sitting there. Today, it was that time of the year again, when he had lost his son Vaasu.

Twenty five years ago, everyone in the village would come to watch the Turtles crawl up to the beach to lay their eggs. There weren’t many that came up on the beach of Udayapur, as they did on the other beaches of Odisha, but when they did, it was a good sign, a sign of luck.

It was even luckier to see the eggs hatching and a young turtle make its way back to the water. No one touched it, because the turtle was supposed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu— the Kurmavtar. The sight of the turtle made all bow down their heads reverently, their palms joined in prayer. That is what he had taught Vaasu too. “Pray well, God will bless you”, was what Madhav told Vaasu every time they spotted a turtle.

What did they call it now? Ah, the Olive Ridley Turtle. There was always a policeman around, and conservationists who made a hue and cry about them. “But no one would ever hurt them”, thought Madhav. At least, no one in their village would.

All along the Odisha coast though, the nesting of the Olive Ridley turtles was a sight to behold. With their olive green, heart-shaped shells, the female turtles came ashore once a year to lay their eggs at the very beach where they had hatched.

There were many who stole the eggs of the turtles though, and many who trapped the gentle, helpless females in their nets for their meat and flesh. Madhav had heard of how the number of turtles decreased every year because of some crooks. But it was different in their village. It was the blessing of Lord Vishnu, they believed. But the turtles have cursed him, thought Madhav bitterly.

Madhav sat there, motionless, watching the waves listlessly. After a while, a man in a red shirt came and sat beside him, also lost in thought. Madhav turned to look. The red shirt caught his attention. Ah! How Vaasu had loved red balloons! Red had been his favourite colour.

When he sold balloons to children, Madhav specifically scrutinized those who bought red balloons, as if Vaasu were hiding among them. It never occurred to him that Vaasu may have grown up as the years passed.

Vaasu was always the five-year-old kid in his mind— the child with a ready laugh, chubby little cheeks, a mischievous twinkle in his eye and a loud happy voice. Madhav always had more of red balloons than any other colour. What if Vaasu appeared one day and asked him for a red balloon? He would be so offended if he knew that his father hadn’t kept any for him and sold the lot.

He remembered that night vividly. That year, quite surprisingly, a large number of females had come to lay their eggs on the beach. Somehow, father and son had missed the sight. Vaasu didn’t want to miss the hatching though. “Let’s go, let’s go”, he urged his father, who laughed at him. “It’s too early yet!” Madhav had said.

“But if we go when it’s time there will be too many people, and I am too short and small to see anything”, wailed Vaasu. “Now there may be just one or two hatching, and we could get one home to keep as my pet”, he added hopefully. “No pet”, said Madhav sternly. “The turtle is holy, a mark of God. Would you have me commit a sin?”

“Alright. But I want to have a look”, pleaded Vaasu. Laughing, Madhav finally yielded to his son’s request. It was a full moon night, and both made their way to the beach. They roamed around for a while, Vaasu excitedly looking for the baby turtles. “See? I told you there’s nothing. Let’s go back”, said Madhav.

But Vaasu gave a scream of delight. Just as he had said, quiet unexpectedly, there started emerging young baby turtles, one after the other, burrowing their way out of the sand! Vaasu was beside himself with joy.

He pranced around them on the beach, his tiny bare feet digging into the cool wet sand. “They’re coming, they’re coming!” he shouted, following the babies all the way to the edge of the waters. “Come back here”, called Madhav, happy to see his son’s joy. “Come back!”

But laughing and dancing, Vaasu had wandered too close to the waters. In the blink of an eye, a huge wave came and took him away, along with the baby turtles that were heading for the waters. “Vaasu! My son! My son!” cried Madhav, but no one heard.

He ran forward to save Vaasu, but the waves threw him back and devoured Vaasu. Maddened with grief, Madhav had spent his entire life searching for his son, in the hope that he may have washed ashore elsewhere along the coast.

Madhav’s reverie was cut short as a policeman appeared with a baton and tapped him sharply on the head. “Up, now!” he said, with a suspicious look on his face. “I see you here everyday. Want to steal turtles in the dark, eh?”
“No, I just want to—”

But the policeman didn’t wait for an answer. He started raining blows on Madhav. But the man in the red shirt got up and shielded him, taking a few blows himself.

“Leave him alone”, he said angrily.

“Well, then, clear out, you both”, retorted the policeman.

The turtles started making for the beach for the nesting. “I have nowhere to go. Where will I look for my son?” cried Madhav. “Give him back to me!” He shook his fist at the waves. The younger man gave him a puzzled look. “The sea takes away everything”, he said. “It took me away from my father.”

Madhav’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s your name?”

“Vaasu”, replied the young man.