An Olive Ridley sea turtle was washed ashore at Kadambadi beach on Sunday morning (February 8, 2026). Forest department officials said the body was buried on the beach as per protocol.

December to March is the peak nesting season for Olive Ridley turtles on the Tamil Nadu coast. A senior forest department official said 11 olive ridley turtles have washed up dead in the district so far this season, most of which are suspected to have been hit by fishing vessels.

Despite repeated warnings and awareness campaigns among fishermen, such incidents keep happening, the official said. The department has increased coastal patrolling, especially from 3 am onwards, to search for injured turtles or those that can be rescued. “In many cases, turtles collide with fishing boats and are found in a decomposed state, making even post-mortem examination impossible,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the forest department has collected around 15,000 olive ridley eggs from various nesting sites and shifted them to the hatchery. The babies are expected to be released into the sea by the middle of this month.