Till about recently, the season from September to March would find the members of the Green Roots Nature Conservation Forum an excited lot. They would be preparing to closely survey the Thottappally coastline during nights for Olive Ridley turtles that would come onto the beach to lay eggs.
But now, as the season approaches, they are a bit worried. Despite being one of the prime locations for Olive Ridleys in the State, the Thottappally coast, especially areas close to the mineral sand-mining sites, has been witnessing fewer turtle landings in recent times.
According to the forum members, the egg-laying turtles used to nest along a stretch of around 800 metres north and south of Thottappally pozhi (sandbar at sea mouth). But of late, there are signs of them skipping the area between Thottappally harbour and pozhi.
