Meet the Volunteers Who Trade Sleep for Sea Turtle Tracks in Chennai
Meet Chennai’s night-time heroes who sacrifice sleep to save Olive Ridley turtles. Discover how these volunteers track and protect nesting sea turtles.
Every year from January to May, something beautiful happens on the beaches of Chennai. A group of dedicated volunteers from the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) walk along the coast every night to protect the Olive Ridley turtles during their nesting season.
They are not scientists or wildlife officers, but regular people — from marketing, IT, consulting, and many other fields — united by their love for nature. They work through the night, from 11 PM to 4 AM, looking for signs of turtles laying eggs.
Turtle Nesting in Chennai: A Magical Experience
Volunteers say that spotting turtle tracks in Chennai gives them the same excitement as spotting a tiger in the wild. The mother turtle first dances to dig a nest, lays her eggs in a trance-like state, and then covers the nest again before returning to the ocean.
Gopala Krishnan, a senior consultant, says, “The first time I picked up the eggs, I was shocked. They were soft, not like chicken eggs. It’s nature’s way to protect them.”
Once the volunteers find a nest, they use a metal probe to gently check the sand for eggs. After carefully digging, they place the turtle eggs into cloth bags and shift them to a hatchery, a safe place where the eggs can stay away from harm.
The volunteers work fast, as the eggs can break if they become hard before relocation. These Olive Ridley turtle hatcheries in Chennai are set up away from threats like predators, plastic waste, or human interference.
Public Turtle Walks in Chennai: Creating Awareness
Every Friday and Saturday, SSTCN organizes public turtle walks in Chennai. About 30–50 people from different age groups come to learn about turtle conservation. Volunteers explain why it’s important to save these turtles and how humans have harmed their natural habitat.
During these walks, if a nest is found, participants can see it up close and learn how it is protected. But SSTCN is careful not to disturb the turtles. That’s why they allow only 60 people per walk.
The Olive Ridley turtle hatchery is a place full of care and responsibility. Volunteers keep an eye on the nests all day and night. Hatchlings are released between 6 and 7 PM before it gets too hot. They are only 3 cm long and need to reach the ocean quickly to survive.
Volunteers also clean up waste, check for any stuck or dehydrated hatchlings, and record all data manually and in a special app made by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
Turtle Hatchling Release in Chennai: A Magical Sight
The highlight is when people gather to see the baby turtles crawling to the sea. Volunteers create safe paths, cover crab holes, and use light to guide the hatchlings. It’s a peaceful and emotional moment.
But it doesn’t end there. After the public leaves, two volunteers stay back late into the night for private releases, sometimes watching over 300 hatchlings make their way to the sea.
To join Olive Ridley turtle conservation in Chennai, you need passion and patience. Volunteers work all night, face safety issues, and often go unnoticed. But their reward is seeing nature at its purest and knowing they’re making a difference.
As Gopala says, “I don’t do this for fame. I hope my kids are inspired to protect nature too.”
