Harshal Karve, marine biologist, mentions, “India is home to five of the seven existing species in the world. Green sea turtles and Olive Ridleys have fool-proof sightings in Maharashtra. Other species such as leatherbacks and hawksbill have anecdotal ones; they have been found in the waters along the state’s coastline, but there are no official records of nesting sites.”

Green sea turtle

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Conservation is key

. Conservation of sea turtles in Maharashtra has many aspects including conserving the nesting habitat, coastal lights, protection of nests from wild predators, inundation during high spring tide, and untimely storms and cyclones.
. Local fishermen should free the turtles stuck in their nets.
. Awareness about coastal projects threatening their nesting habitat should 
be vocalised.
. Keep the coastline clean and avoid plastic or glass materials around the site.

Olive Ridley turtle. Pic/Satej Shinde

Learn more

. Participating in preservation programmes by NGOs and the government can help citizens to know more about turtles.
. Sites like snmcpn.org (Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra), wii.gov.in (Wildlife Institute of India) and mangrove-foundation.com (Mangrove Foundation) provide information on the different species found in Maharashtra.
. Turtle festivals conducted under the guidance of experts and state government officials provide a great 
opportunity to learn more about 
these species.