Did you know there is a creature on our planet that has been swimming in the oceans since the time of dinosaurs, long before us? Sea turtles are marine reptiles that silently swim thousands of kilometers across the ocean and return to the same seashore where they were born. These elegant reptiles, with their tough shells, are a symbol of survival and resilience in ocean and shore communities.
The turtles of India, with a long coastline of over 75,000 km, has a perfect habitat for these magnificent creatures. Be it the nesting beaches of Odisha or the coral-rich waters of the Andaman Islands, all are perfect for sea turtles. In this blog, we will learn more about the sea turtle species found in India, their conservation, and the threats they are facing.
Why Sea Turtles Are So Special
Sea turtles are among the most ancient creatures that survive today. Human activity now poses a threat to sea turtles, which have survived mass extinctions, various glacial events on Earth, and changing coastlines. They spend most of their time in the ocean, unlike most reptiles. They are expert navigators and navigate the vast oceans by using the magnetic field of Earth, and the celestial hues are very impressive. They are necessary for the maintenance of a healthy marine ecosystem by controlling the population of various marine creatures.
The sea turtle species in India
India is one of the few countries in the world that hosts five species of sea turtles out of the seven found in the world.
1. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
The Olive Ridley sea turtle is the most abundant species of sea turtle on India’s coastline. They are known for arribada (the Spanish term refers to the mass nesting of sea turtles). This species arrives in large numbers on the seacoast, sometimes tens of thousands at once, to nest on beaches like Gahirmatha and Rushikulya in Odisha. Watching the mass nesting event is an annual tourist attraction, and it also attracts conservationists from all over the world to watch this spectacular event.
2. Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Green turtles are one of the largest sea turtle species and are the only herbivores among all sea turtles. They are called green because of the greenish color of their fat and cartilage, not their carapace. Like all the other sea turtles, they migrate long distances between the beaches where they hatch and their feeding ground. They maintain the marine biodiversity by feeding on seagrass. Their major nesting grounds are Muthupet in Tamil Nadu and Coringa in Andhra Pradesh.
3. Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Hawksbill sea turtles are named after their narrow, pointed hawk-like beak. Because of their distinctive pattern of overlapping scales on their shells, it forms a serrated look on the edges. Due to these distinctive colors and patterns, their shells are highly valuable and sold as tortoise shells on the market.
Hawksbill turtles are mainly found in the tropical oceans worldwide. They are considered the masters of the reef ecosystem. By feeding sponges, they help coral reefs to thrive. Apart from sponges, they also eat sea anemones and jellyfish. Because their habitat is under threat, they are classified as critically endangered by IUCN. They are mostly seen near Lakshadweep and the Andaman Islands in India.
4. Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Loggerhead turtles are known for their large heads, which support their strong jaw muscles. These adaptations help them crush the hard shells of their prey, such as clams and sea urchins. They are the most common turtles in the Mediterranean. Loggerheads are not known to nest in India, but they nest in Sri Lanka and the Gulf of Mannar.
5. Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all sea turtles, they can grow up to 2 meters long and weigh over 600 kilograms. They are named after their shell, which is not hard but leather-like. They are the most migratory turtle species with the widest distribution of any reptile, crossing both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They nest on remote beaches in Odisha’s coastline.
Threats to the Sea Turtles in India
Threats Facing Sea Turtles of India Today
As mentioned before, the threats to the sea turtles are mainly from human activities. Here is the list of threats they are facing:
- Coastal Development: development activities, which include the construction of roads, ports, and tourism-related infrastructure like resorts, are causing disturbance to the nesting turtles and destroying the nesting beaches.
- Pollution: Various types of pollution, especially water pollution by oil spills and sewage discharge, impact their feeding and nesting grounds. Plastic bags, which are in the water, are mistaken for jellyfish, causing choking in them. Plastic straw is also causing a similar effect on them.
- Climate Change: Rising sea levels flooded nesting beaches, and because temperature plays a major role in deciding the sex in reptiles, warmer sand skews the sex ratio of hatchlings.
- Bycatch in Fishing: Millions of turtles die annually due to accidental bycatch in fishing gear.
- Poaching: Eggs and meat are illegally harvested in some regions, reducing hatchling survival rates.
- Light and Noise Pollution: Artificial lights confuse the hatchlings, and underwater noise from boats disrupts their navigation.
Conservation of Sea Turtles in India
Conservation of sea turtles is a priority for the Indian government, and various steps have been taken so far to protect them in the Indian waters.
Legal Protection:
Sea turtles in India are protected under the various national and international laws and treaties, which include wildlife protection act, ratification of the cites, ratification of bon convention, the biological diversity act, marine fisheries (regulation and management bill), the marine fishing policy, costal regulation zone notification and state fisheries policies and laws.
Operation Olivia:
An initiative by the coast guards of India, launched in 1980, to protect endangered Olive ridley sea turtles from poaching during their breeding and nesting season. It involves 24X7 surveillance. The operation is conducted every year from November to May. In the year 2025, Operation Olivia has protected a record of over 6.98 lakh olive ridley turtles at the Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha during
Community engagement:
Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra (SNM), a non-governmental organization working to protect the olive ridley sea turtle, has found that engaging the local community in conservation gives very good results. The marine turtle conservation program, run by the state forest department, teaches the volunteers from the local communities to collect the freshly laid eggs from vulnerable nests and transfer them to the hatcheries. When the hatchlings are ready and the temperature is right, then they are transferred to the beach from where these hatchlings start their journey.
Turtle Excluder Device:
The Turtle Excluder Device (TED) is a device that is used to protect sea turtles by addressing the interaction between sea turtles and trawl fishing gear. TEDs are made up of metal bars and mesh, and they fit inside the neck of the trawl net. The shrimps can pass through the bars to the back of the net, but turtles and other big animals are stopped by the bars, and they easily go out through a flap in the mesh.
Turtle Action Group (TAG):
The Turtle Action Group is a network of NGOs and other local and community-based organizations dedicated to the conservation and protection of sea turtles in India. It was started in January 2009 at a workshop in Chennai, considered the birthplace of sea turtle conservation in India. Now TAG is a collaboration of more than 20 organizations working together for sea turtle conservation by various means.
How You Can Help Save Sea Turtles
- Reduce the use of single-use plastics and also avoid littering the beaches.
- Support and volunteer for the organizations working on turtle conservation.
- Volunteer for the beach cleanup and select only eco-friendly tourism setups.
- Participate in an awareness campaign about the importance of turtle-friendly fishing activities.
- Always report turtle poaching and disturbance to the concerned authorities.
Remember every small step helps to protect these ancient creatures and ensures that our future generations can still witness their incredible journeys.
Also give a read to our most viewed blog, Wild Affairs: Extraordinary Love Stories of Mammals
