Sanjib Kumar Roy

Port Blair, Nov 13 (UNI) Turtle nesting has began in Andaman and Nicobar islands with the arrival of thousands of marine reptiles in the beaches of this archipelago.

" We have received reports from many islands that thousands of turtles are coming in for laying eggs like every years," said Andaman tourism department Public Relations Officer Rana Mathew.

Four species of sea turtle (leatherback Dermochelys coriacea, green Chelonia mydas, hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata and olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea) nest on the beaches of the Nicobar group of islands in the Bay of Bengal. Great Nicobar, the southern-most and the largest in the group, supports all four species of sea turtles, with a high abundance of leatherback nests.

The popular leatherback nesting beaches on this island are situated at the mouths of Galathea, Alexandria and Dagmar rivers.

Other sea turtles also nest at these beaches. However, the other beaches where turtles breed have not been studied well, experts believe.

With the beginning of turtle nesting season the local administration has decided to promote turtle nesting as a major attraction for visiting travellers.

" We are planning to use some buses to carry tourists for middle Andaman region where holidaymakers could see turtle nesting easily," tourism special secretary S K P Sodi.

Presently turtles have started coming in beaches of Diglipur in north Andaman, Rangat in Middle Andaman and Great Nicobar the southernmost island of Indian Territory.

Besides this, reports of turtle nesting were also coming from various coastal areas of Nicobar group of islands, where outsiders were permitted, Mr Mathew told UNI.

Initially the turtles had stopped nesting in these islands after December 2004 tsunami as most of the beaches were damaged due to waves. But within three moths of tsunami, turtles had started nesting again in Great Nicobar islands.

Scientists from all over the world often visits Andaman and Nicobar islands to study turtle nesting. Tsunami in December 2004 had washed away three scientists camped at Great Nicobar beach, studying turtles, since tsunami day there bodies were never found.

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