The ‘Turtle Festival’

Every year between February to March, An Indian NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) – Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra along with the Maharashtra Forest Department and the local residents of Velas village organizes a unique ‘Turtle Festival’ at Velas Beach in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra state in India.

Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra (SNM) has been the first organization to take up the cause of Marine Turtle Conservation on the Western Coast of India. From the time they began their conservation program in 2002, SNM has protected 681 nests and released over 30,465 hatchlings of the Olive Ridley Turtle into the sea. To ensure local participation in marine turtle conservation, the organization established the Kasav Mitra Mandal (Friends of the Turtle), a committee consisting of the people of Velas. The members provide home-stays to tourists and contribute 10% of their earnings to the Marine turtle Conservation Fund of Velas, enabling the conservation process to be sustainable.

Wild Navigator’s Travel Partner - The Western Routes supports Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra in its efforts by donating a certain percentage of the individual tour charge for the Turtle Festival to the organization.

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Wild Navigator would like to thank Jayesh Paranjape of The Western Routes in sending us all relevant information and pictures for this post. We would like to request our readers to engage with the ‘Turtle Festival’ by spreading the word, participating and contributing to Marine Turtle Conservation & Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra

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