Maharashtra: Satellite-tagged Olive Ridley turtle Dhaval Lakshmi remains near Dahanu a week after release

Dhaval Lakshmi being released into the sea off the Dahanu coast. PIC COURTESY/Mangrove Cell/Maharashtra Forest Dept

Satellite-tagged Olive Ridley turtle Dhaval Lakshmi, released off the Dahanu coast over a week ago, appears to be enjoying the waters nearby. Since its release, the turtle hasn't moved in any specific direction and continues to remain roughly 27 km northwest of Dahanu, swimming around the same area without showing any clear directional movement over the past week. This is the same turtle that was found injured off the Dahanu coast in August. After receiving treatment, she was rehabilitated and released back into the sea.

According to officials from the Mangrove Cell, Dhaval Lakshmi continues to hover between 27 km and 45 km northwest of Dahanu. "Since her release, she appears to be spending time in the same stretch of water, likely due to the abundant availability of food in the area. It will be interesting to track her movements once she begins travelling further in the coming days."

Dr Dinesh J Vinherkar, the veterinarian at the Transit Treatment Centre (TTC) in Dahanu, along with the WCAWA (Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare Association) team, officials from the Mangrove Cell, and the forest department (Dahanu), played a crucial role in rescuing the turtle after it was found entangled in a ghost net off the Dhakti Dahanu coast.

"The female turtle was critically injured and found entangled in a ghost net. After rescuing her safely, we treated her wounds with antibiotics, painkillers and fluid therapy for hydration. We also had to carry out stomach tube feeding and hand-feeding until she began eating on her own. She was given regular swimming practice in the seawater pools at the TTC in Dahanu, and we used laser therapy to help with muscle healing. She responded well to the treatment, and later the decision to fit her with a satellite tag was taken by officials from the Mangrove Cell and forest department, along with experts from the Wildlife Institute of India," Dr Vinherkar said.

Dr Vinherkar believes that tracking a turtle that has recovered from serious injuries with a satellite tag will be a significant milestone in understanding the fate of critically injured sea turtles after rehabilitation. "This will give us hope and confidence to save more injured marine wildlife. The data will help us understand their post-release survival and to develop better strategies for rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and the release of marine wildlife in the future," he said.

The development was a first for the Dahanu coast, wherein the Mangrove Cell fitted a satellite tag on an Olive Ridley turtle to track its journey from the shoreline. The project aims to gather important data on the species' migration routes, foraging grounds, and population patterns along India's western coast. Deputy Director Manas Manjrekar from Mangrove Cell said, "As on 04/12/2025, the satellite-tagged turtle ‘Dhaval Lakshmi' was observed to be around 50 km northwest of Dahanu and around 40 km offshore from the coast of Daman"