Olive ridley turtles are found in large numbers along the Maharashtra beaches. However, they were posed a severe threat by the tortoise hunters and animals like dogs who would damage the eggs and nests. To save these augmented turtles and conserve them, the state forest department with the help of NGOs such as Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra, local residents and volunteers has been conserving them and releasing them into the sea every year for over a decade now. To conserve and protect them, the nests are discovered first and the eggs are recovered without any damage by the volunteers. Later, they are kept in hatcheries with a proper protection net around. Once matured, the hatchlings or baby turtles are released into the sea. Many beaches along Konkan hold tortoise festivals while the turtles are released into the sea. The number of tortoises on the Konkan coast has gone up considerably. Other than fish, the amount of tortoises getting ashore during the recent cyclones was big this year as compared to cyclonic activities seen previously.
