Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: The 2024-25 Turtle Season have virtually ended on a poor note that only 50.98% of the eggs laid have successfully hatched, while a grave percentage of 47.87% of Turtle Eggs are either failed to hatch or Young One’s died at the twin twin hatcheries of Agonda and Galgibaga Turtle Rehabilitation Centres (TRC) in South Goa.
Both the TRC’s have protected 188 Turtle Pits with a maximum of 143 Pits at Agonda alone and 43 Pits at Galgibaga, laying total of 19191 eggs, which also includes 02 unreported turtle pits protected elsewhere with a success rate of 92.38% with 97 olive ridley babies released into sea out 105.
Incidentally, Agonda TRC which hosted 143 turtle pits at its hatchery including a lone pit with 102 eggs laid as late as 14th April has the highest mortality rate of 56.34% (3749 eggs failed to hatch and 4411 young olive ridley babies died) and only 6104 olive ridley babies were released into the sea successfully.
On the other hand Galgibaga TRC had a success rate of 77.86% with 3584 Olive Ridley babies released successfully into the Arabian sea, while a meager 22.13 % (681 eggs failed to hatch, 338 young ones died) was mortality rate.
Expressing satisfaction at the overall success of the turtle nesting season concluding except for One turtle Pit, South Marine Range incharge Rajesh Naik informed , ‘just one pit at Agonda Hatchery has to hatch , 102 eggs are there and 39 days has been covered, likely to hatch in the first week of June, if climate is favourable’, Naik stated saying the pre monsoon rains currently hitting the State may possibly hamper the smooth hatching of the turtle eggs presently taken care at Agonda hatchery.
