Tonka – Nesting Beach Of Oliver Ridley Turtles

Описание: Karnataka, The state has 300km of coastline and is a frontline state in marine fisheries development. Karnataka hosts a wide variety of life including marine mammals, sea turtles, commercial and non-commercial fish, mangroves, sea grasses and coral reefs and their associated communities.
Honnavar us a port town in Coastal Karnataka known for its beautiful landscapes and rich marine biodiversity. The beaches of Honnavar are the few nesting sites of the Olive Ridleys in the country. The Tonka Beach one of the most beautiful and clean beach near the mighty Sharavati River meets beautifully with the huge Arabian Sea. The meeting of this powerful river and the Arabian Sea generates a remarkable contrast between freshwater and saltwater, resulting in the formation of a unique ecosystem rich in species located Kasarkoda village. The Tonka beach is also a best nesting area for Olive Ridley Turtle.
Karnataka has been active in its turtle conservation efforts since 1984. The Olive Ridley’s nesting’s in Kasarkod in Honnavar were first recorded in 1984. Honnavar was where one of the first Olive Ridley hatcheries in the state was launched.
Olive Ridleys face serious threats across their migratory route, habitat and nesting beaches, due to human activities such as turtle unfriendly ports, and tourist centres. Every year, scores of female Olive Ridley turtles swim across the oceans, traversing thousands of miles of open sea to return to the beaches where they were born. Here, they construct a nest in the sand with their hind flippers, deposit their eggs in them and return to the ocean, leaving these eggs, which take 40-45 days to hatch, unattended.
Turtles are very seasonal as they come only between Dcember to February to lay the eggs at Tonka Beach. Sea turtles in India are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. This means that they are accorded the highest protection, and any harm caused to them is punishable offence by law.
Coastal communities in Honnavar worship the turtles. Tonka fishermen community, has involved in protecting the Olive Ridley rookery at the nesting site by fencing off the nesting area and patrolling it till hatching and ensuring a safe passage for the hatchlings to the sea.

This documentary explains Fishermen participation of protecting nests, and unique feature of Tonka Beach. This documentary is produced by Dr.B.Sreekantachar, Subject Expert Dr Prakash Mesta, Marine biologist Honnavar and Camera work done by Suresh N