05 August,2026 07:48 PM IST | Mumbai | Ronak Mastakar
The Maharashtra Forest Department said Dhaval Lakshmi’s journey demonstrates that rescued and rehabilitated sea turtles can successfully adapt to life in the wild. Pic/Mangrove Cell
The rescued Olive Ridley turtle Dhaval Lakshmi has completed an extraordinary 4,785 km journey across the Arabian Sea after being released back into the waters following rehabilitation.
According to the Mangrove Cell of the Maharashtra Forest Department, the turtle's satellite tag stopped transmitting after recording its movements for 228 days.
Officials said the available data showed normal diving and movement patterns, indicating that the tag likely failed and that there was no sign of harm to the turtle.
Dhaval Lakshmi was rescued on August 10, 2025 after becoming entangled in a discarded fishing net, also known as a ghost net. The turtle was taken to the turtle treatment centre at Dahanu, where it underwent rehabilitation before being released.
On November 20, 2025, the Olive Ridley turtle was fitted with a satellite transmitter to monitor its recovery and understand its movements after returning to the ocean.
Since then mid-day has been following its journey.
After release from the Dahanu coast, Dhaval Lakshmi travelled extensively through the Arabian Sea. The turtle moved westwards towards Oman before eventually returning towards Indian waters.
The final satellite transmission was received on July 5, 2026, when the turtle was located around 125 km off the coast of Murdeshwar in Karnataka.
Officials said dive records from the final days of tracking showed normal behaviour, suggesting that the loss of transmission was most likely due to a technical issue with the satellite tag rather than any threat to the turtle's health.
The tracking exercise provided valuable information about the survival and movement patterns of rescued Olive Ridley turtles after rehabilitation.
The Maharashtra Forest Department said Dhaval Lakshmi's journey demonstrates that rescued and rehabilitated sea turtles can successfully adapt to life in the wild.
The long-distance movement recorded through satellite tracking highlights the importance of marine rescue programmes, rehabilitation centres and conservation efforts aimed at protecting endangered marine species.
