After writing a satisfactory blog post that humored a visitor, I find it even more appealing to take yet another break to update the site. So, for the second time in 24 hours, here I go, again.
Turtle Walk
Yeah, yeah, sort of boring to have every blog labeled a ‘walk’, blame the organizers. Anyway, getting to the point, making this trip essentially means putting a nite-out (my first ever after joining IIT!) and walking from one beach to the other on sand (ob :P) discerning turtle tracks in sand (ob again :P) to spot turtle nests/eggs/hatchlings and transporting them to the hatchery, waiting for 30 minutes or so for the hatchlings to get activated and leaving them to struggle towards sea, watching them being washed away by strong waves into the deep dark ocean. Good! I’m glad I am human! ;)
Started at ECR beach with a talk beginning with an introduction to turtles (The Turtle 101) involving almost all of the visitors, school kids, college students, visitors, foreigners, old people (a really diverse group). Being extremely informative and thought provoking, the chat slowly flowed towards government policies to environmental protection to genetically modified crops to culture to way of life! And, I, just having given a presentation on GM Foods for Environment and Resource Economics course was ‘fully unleashed’ ;). The organizer actually told me, “For an IIT student, you are quite well-informed” hah! I am. Another interesting fact that propped up was that these amazing creatures return to the same breeding ground where they took birth, to lay their own eggs! Predators apart, the street lamps at night pose a bigger danger, misleading the turtles away from the waters (Fyi, turtles detect their way towards the sea by sensing light). Olive Ridley turtles are found only on the coasts of South East Asia. Their tiny home is shrinking even more, thanks to the contemporary industrial practices.
These walks have been conducted since last 10-11 years during the first couple of months in a year, every weekend. The locals actually refer to the turtle season as the one in which turtle-walkers start walking! The walk along the beach was simply great with equally great company. I was _very lucky_ to have learnt about it at the end of the season, so I couldn’t catch any turtle nests or eggs. I was glad to have caught sight of some hatchlings in the hatchery. Some twenty of them, four could fit easily in one’s palm. They looked ugly initially, but when you start playing with them, you would want to go on. Hold their shell and suspend them in air, they will start the swimming action in air with their tiny fin-like legs. The most shocking thing you need to do to these creatures is leaving them getting washed away by the ocean. The ironic part being that it is simply a part, rather the first ‘step’ (read wash) of their life.
I reached campus at around 5am and joined the preparations of the hostel night. The hostel night ended at around 1am. I wasn’t awake to live the next day. :D
Now, I would like to give you conclusive evidence of my ‘amateur blogger’ status. I forgot to mention, I attended the turtle walk on the night before the Sharavati Hostel night (12th April’08)
Turtle Walk
Yeah, yeah, sort of boring to have every blog labeled a ‘walk’, blame the organizers. Anyway, getting to the point, making this trip essentially means putting a nite-out (my first ever after joining IIT!) and walking from one beach to the other on sand (ob :P) discerning turtle tracks in sand (ob again :P) to spot turtle nests/eggs/hatchlings and transporting them to the hatchery, waiting for 30 minutes or so for the hatchlings to get activated and leaving them to struggle towards sea, watching them being washed away by strong waves into the deep dark ocean. Good! I’m glad I am human! ;)
Started at ECR beach with a talk beginning with an introduction to turtles (The Turtle 101) involving almost all of the visitors, school kids, college students, visitors, foreigners, old people (a really diverse group). Being extremely informative and thought provoking, the chat slowly flowed towards government policies to environmental protection to genetically modified crops to culture to way of life! And, I, just having given a presentation on GM Foods for Environment and Resource Economics course was ‘fully unleashed’ ;). The organizer actually told me, “For an IIT student, you are quite well-informed” hah! I am. Another interesting fact that propped up was that these amazing creatures return to the same breeding ground where they took birth, to lay their own eggs! Predators apart, the street lamps at night pose a bigger danger, misleading the turtles away from the waters (Fyi, turtles detect their way towards the sea by sensing light). Olive Ridley turtles are found only on the coasts of South East Asia. Their tiny home is shrinking even more, thanks to the contemporary industrial practices.
These walks have been conducted since last 10-11 years during the first couple of months in a year, every weekend. The locals actually refer to the turtle season as the one in which turtle-walkers start walking! The walk along the beach was simply great with equally great company. I was _very lucky_ to have learnt about it at the end of the season, so I couldn’t catch any turtle nests or eggs. I was glad to have caught sight of some hatchlings in the hatchery. Some twenty of them, four could fit easily in one’s palm. They looked ugly initially, but when you start playing with them, you would want to go on. Hold their shell and suspend them in air, they will start the swimming action in air with their tiny fin-like legs. The most shocking thing you need to do to these creatures is leaving them getting washed away by the ocean. The ironic part being that it is simply a part, rather the first ‘step’ (read wash) of their life.
I reached campus at around 5am and joined the preparations of the hostel night. The hostel night ended at around 1am. I wasn’t awake to live the next day. :D
Now, I would like to give you conclusive evidence of my ‘amateur blogger’ status. I forgot to mention, I attended the turtle walk on the night before the Sharavati Hostel night (12th April’08)
3 comments:
Too bad the nature walk, part of our course, didn't materialize. You could have had another post in this very category :)
True, but the probability of having all students free and willing, that too early in the morning is kind of low :D
"Good that I'm Human" :D
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