Olive ridley turtle chased away by crowd at Juhu beach, second incident this month

Olive ridley’s nesting attempt foiled again at Juhu beach; calls for awareness grow

For the second time this month, an olive ridley turtle attempted to nest on Juhu beach, only to be driven away by human interference. The incident occurred on March 16 at around 2.45 am, when the turtle emerged from the sea but was reportedly disturbed by visitors using flashlights and blocking its path. Unable to proceed, it retreated back into the water. On March 4 a similar attempt was made by another turtle who also had to return to the sea because of disturbances.

According to the Instagram page Juhu Buzz, “A video showed the turtle struggling to move towards the shore, but some visitors—not locals—were obstructing its way and recording with flashlights. This disturbance forced it to return to the sea. With Juhu beach being a high-traffic area, nesting remains difficult unless awareness increases. However, the ever-changing crowd makes it challenging to ensure responsible behaviour." 

To address the issue, Juhu Buzz has reached out to Shaunak Modi from the Coastal Conservation Foundation to explore awareness sessions for the local community. 

Modi stated, “This is the second time this month that an olive ridley turtle has come to Juhu beach to nest but was disturbed by people. We are now receiving reports of nesting from different shores in Mumbai, which suggests this is not an isolated incident but a recurring phenomenon that has gone unreported. 

Reducing lights on beaches or using red filters, along with regular patrolling of Juhu, Versova, and Madh, may help us identify more nesting sites." 

The Mangrove Cell of the Maharashtra Forest Department has been informed and will begin night patrols on Juhu beach to prevent further disturbances.

March 16
Day turtle was spotted again

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