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Marine Turtle Newsletter 8:5, © 1978

Marine Turtles in India's Lakshadweep Islands

Satish Bhaskar
Field Officer, Madras Snake Park Trust Surveys, Madras 600022, India

Three sea turtle species-the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), the Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea)-commonly occur and nest in the Lakshadweep Islands which lie 120 to 200 miles off India's south-west coast. The rare Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) is occasionally met with by fishermen; rarely does it come ashore to nest.

Of the ten inhabited and sixteen seasonally uninhabited islands that form the Union Territory, nesting appears to occur in substantial numbers only on four islands of the latter category - Suheli Valiyakara, Suheli Cheriyakara, Tinnakara and Bangaram. Surveyed during the period October '77 to January '78, the number of old nesting pits of Green turtles visible were found to be 200, 15, 40, and 15 at the respective islands. Nesting was sporadic on Suheli Valiyakara and on Tinnakara during the period October-January; the main nesting season is believed to occur during the months of the south-west monsoon, June to September.

Of the inhabited islands, Kadmat, Androth, Agatti and Minicoy appear to be the most favored by nesting turtles. During survey visits averaging four days at each island, the number of egg-laden nests located were, respectively, 4, 4, 2 and 1; of these 11 nests, 7 had been made by Olive Ridleys, 3 by Hawksbills and one, at Minicoy, by a Green turtle. Off Minicoy, which is the southern-most in the group, Greens and Hawksbills are commonly sighted the year round, close to shore. The Ridley appears to be absent from Minicoy waters, but is quite common elsewhere, particularly at the 5 northern-most islands (the Amindivi group).

Excepting at Minicoy, turtles are sighted within the lagoons only during the monsoon months and during the few weeks that follow. In spite of protective legislation, turtles are actively hunted on all islands barring Minicoy, where turtling is sporadic (the men here are usually seamen, making good wages).

Green turtles and, to a lesser extent, Ridleys, are valued for the fat they contain; Hawksbills for the beautiful, glossy laminae on their shells. Leatherbacks, when encountered, are avidly harpooned (two instances related during the period September -December '77, one each off Kadmat and Androth). Its fat, like those of the other species, is used to waterproof the joints of country boats.

Sulleli Valiyaknra Island is evidently the most important turtle rookery in Lukshadaweep. Plans are afoot to permanently settle islanders from Kavaratti there. At present, Valiyakara is inhabited (and sparsely so) only during the fair season (October-May). Coconut cultivators have begun fencing off parts of the half mile long main nesting beach, with the express purpose of preventing nesting turtles from coming ashore and inadvertently uprooting their coconut saplings.

Lakshadweep's turtle population, which is stated by local people to have dwindled over the years, urgently needs protection. Some suggested measures are: providing a substitute oil for the islanders' boat repairs; demarcating an uncleared, uncultivated zone between the beach and the coconut plantation (both to prevent erosion and to facilitate turtle nesting); re-examining the proposal to populate and build a light house on Suheli Valiyakara Island; publicizing the international plight of sea turtles, especially the rare Leatherback; designating at least two major nesting islands (Minicoy and Suheli Valiyakara) as Sea Turtle Preserves; investigating and sealing the continuing illegal outlet for Hawksbill shell to the mainland.