Olive ridley turtle / Lepidochelys olivacea

Olive ridley turtle , Visakhapatnam

Olive ridley turtle ( Lepidochelys olivacea ) is a marine turtle , smallest and most abundant of all marine turtles. It mainly feeds on jellyfish,shrimp,molluscs, a variety of fish etc.

Though they are abundant their numbers have been continuously declining . This is because of excessive fishing , propeller hits and poaching .They prefer the warm waters of  Pacific , Atlantic and Indian Ocean .

Olive ridley turtle , Visakhapatnam

In India,Rushikulya shore of Odisa is a major egg deposit . Such places are protected by Forest Department . Interestingly , the female prefers to come to shore every year to lay eggs . 

In Vizag , these turtles come and deposit their eggs in all shores during the night . Eggs are then taken manually and carefully by a authorized personnel and are taken to Forest department's hatchery where the eggs are again put inside the sand .Hatchery thus protects these eggs from ferals and poachers .

Identification : The carapace of it is in olive colour in a heart like shape and little rounded . They grow upto 2 feet long .

IUCN status: Vulnerable