Eight turtles visit Canacona beaches on a single night and lay over 897 eggs. Highest ever single day count; 1st Turtle Nest with 150 eggs at Agonda TRC failed to give even a single hatchling.
Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: In the highest ever single-day count, as many as Eight (8) mother turtles laid over 897 eggs in various parts of Canacona Coastline increasing the Turtle Nests to 32 pits protected by Forest (Wildlife) at the twin Nesting Sites at Agonda and Galgibaga Turtle Rehabilitation Centre’s on Wednesday.
While two turtle nests found at Rajbag Beach coast were excavated and about 201 turtle eggs were transplanted in two different Pits at Agonda TRC Nesting Site, Forest Rescuers observed and picked up four turtle pits from different parts of Agonda’s 2.9 Km long coastline beginning midnight to early Wednesday morning and transplanted at Nesting site. Agonda shore is under the 24 x 7 lens of the Forest (Wildlife) Department engaged Rescuers keeping a watch on the entire beachline.
It is learnt that some fishermen noticed crawling marks on Rajbhag beach and alerted the Forest Rescuers from Agonda (Palolem-Colomb-Patnem-Rajbag stretch under the service area of Agonda TRC), who later visited and tracked two turtle pits with 103 and 98 eggs, respectively, and later shifted the same to Agonda TRC.
Agonda TRC is presently protecting 23 out of 24 Turtle Pits at its Nesting Site. The First Pits protected at Agonda TRC on 16.11.2023 with 150 eggs have reportedly been destroyed as all the eggs failed to hatch babies (the hatching period is between 50-58 days).
All 150 eggs decayed/spoiled, emanating a foul smell.
It is believed heavy unseasonal rains witnessed all over Goa have caused damage to the turtle eggs.
There are at least 3 other pits presently guarded (December last week and January first week) at Agonda and Galgibaga is in the same situation and is likely to meet the same fate or result in more mortality than hatching babies, informed a forest source.
These 8 pits are the highest ever count on any single day since the Forest Department began to protect the endangered sea species in Canacona.
Two mother turtles within 30 minutes of each other visited the Galgibaga shore between 4.30 to 5 am and laid 100 and 88 eggs, which were later shifted to the Nursery Site as pits no.7 and 8. Presently Galgibaga TRC, which is also the Headquarters of Marine Range (South-Goa) takes care of 8 turtle nests, while Agonda TRC has 23.
According to forest sources, as the weather continues to be favorable, the more endangered Olive Ridley Turtles are expected to visit the beach-shores to lay eggs in the next few days.
