Each year, hundreds of thousands of sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing nets—a phenomenon known as bycatch, which poses a grave threat to these already vulnerable species. “Even the death of one individual has implications for a population that’s already threatened. But in the case of fisheries, it’s also not good for the reputation of the fisheries” says Dr … Read More
After a sea turtle hatchling scurries down the beach and plunges into the waves, it vanishes into the ocean, remaining incognito for the next few years. This early period of a sea turtle’s life history, often referred to as the ‘lost years’, has long intrigued scientists, leaving many questions about this mysterious stage. Where do these hatchlings go? And when … Read More
Sea turtle hatcheries are a popular conservation strategy across the world, easily recognised as fenced enclosures on sea turtle nesting beaches. These enclosures house turtle eggs, relocated from natural nests on the beach, to a more controlled environment that protects them from various threats. Ideally, a hatchery would produce more hatchlings than a natural nest. However, relocating sea turtle eggs … Read More
Looking at an egg and wondering when and if it ever hosted life is a curiosity most of us are familiar with. But what about sea turtle eggs? With each sea turtle nest containing anywhere between 60-120 eggs, not all of them hatch into baby sea turtles – some instead exhibit hatching failure. But why do these eggs remain unhatched, … Read More
Did you know that sea turtles take about 20-30 years to reach sexual maturity and reproduce? “The turtles that you’re looking at on the beach this year may have hatched out of their eggs 35 years ago. So what happened 35 years ago is going to determine what kind of population you have now. And what you do now is … Read More
The earliest ancestor of modern day sea turtles appeared about 120 million years ago. Interestingly, these species laid hard-shelled eggs, as opposed to the soft-shelled eggs that we see now. Then a big mass extinction event around 66 million years ago wiped out about 50 percent of plants and animals. But not these guys – sea turtles managed to survive! … Read More
Sea Turtles Stories, a podcast from Olive Ridley Project, launches on 16th June 2024. The series delves into the world of sea turtles, featuring lively conversations with experts who offer insights into various aspects of sea turtles’ life cycle and conservation practices.
Did you know that sea turtles have been around since the days of the dinosaurs? Sadly, they are now threatened with extinction. Welcome to Sea Turtle Stories, a podcast where sea turtle experts from around the globe help us uncover the lives of sea turtles and the conservation practices associated with them – from the mysterious lost years of hatchlings, … Read More
Heidi was one of our most widely loved sea turtle patients. He was admitted to the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in 2018 with severe ghost gear entanglement injuries and was deemed un-releasable due to one missing and one non-functional front flipper. He was transferred to Plymouth, UK, to live out his days in the National Marine Aquarium.
The first ever National Red List for the Maldives is now live. This endeavour that was possible in part due to the efforts of Olive Ridley Project’s founder, Dr. Martin Stelfox and senior scientist, Dr. Stephanie Köhnk, both of whom were leading the assessment for specific turtle species.
