Seventeen Olive Ridley turtles walked ashore to Mhairi, what is known as Dream Beach in Vagator, on seven different days over a period of three months, to lay 1515 eggs, motivating locals to request the Department of Forest to declare the beach as a turtle nesting site.
“I hereby request your office to declare Mhairi/Dream Beach – Vagator and main beach Vagator as turtle nesting sites to further preserve and conserve our national heritage,” requests a letter submitted to the Range Forest Officer, Panjim, on March 23, 2024.
“This news from the turtle guards, appointed by the Forest Department in Morjim, brings joy,” declared Michael Mendonca from Vagator.
“We have a guard in Vagator who informs us as soon as he notices a turtle laying eggs on the beach. We go, collect them and nest them in this enclosure,” admits Trivikram Morje, one of the senior turtle guards of the Forest Department at Morjim.
Records available with the Forest Department guards in Morjim indicate that the first turtle walked ashore on Dream Beach on January 20, 2024, and laid 40 eggs, while the 17th turtle laid 95 eggs on March 18, 2024.
The highest number of eggs laid by a turtle was 127 on January 21, 2024, and the lowest was 40, the day before that.
“With 17 turtles walking on our shore in less than three months, it is time the Forest Department declare Mhairi or Dream Beach, part of Vagator, as a turtle nesting site,” said local, Javish Moniz.
“We have destroyed our heritage all these years with rampant construction on the beach, which is also being misused and the Department of Tourism has to be held responsible. It is time to make amends by protecting the turtles,” adds Moniz.
From the 17 turtles that nested at Dream Beach, according to the Forest Department records, seven turtles laid 100 or more eggs.
“Before, many turtles used to come and lay eggs, and youngsters used to have parties with the eggs,” recollects veteran, Martin Fernandes.
“With the law protecting turtles, youngsters have stopped the old practices and the eggs are now left alone. I recently read that turtles have started coming back to our beach,” admitted Martin.
Three turtles walked to the shore on March 4, 2024, and laid a total of 247 eggs, and another three laid a total of 268 eggs. Eight turtles laid 796 eggs in Candolim. So far, seven nested 763 eggs in Calangute and three laid 277 eggs in Baga.
“I am not in a position to tell you why the turtles walked ashore to the beach in Vagator so late, compared to the nesting in Morjim and nearby beaches,” stated guard, Rajan. “Or, for that matter, why they prefer the less frequented beaches to the more frequented ones,” he added.
Three turtles walked in on three days, whilst two turtles walked in on two days at Dream Beach, according to details recorded by the turtle guards.
“My study of turtles is purely based on observations, and hence I am unable to explain their pattern of nesting,” disclosed Rajan.
The Forest Department could well turn Vagator into another dream nesting site for turtles.