Released during Dhanu-Bordi beach cleanup, turtles recovered from fractures and entanglement after months of treatment by vet and forest team
The vet and forest team release recovered turtles back into the sea. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Two injured green sea turtles were released into the Arabian Sea off Dahanu on Sunday, 7 December. The release coincided with the Dahanu-Bordi beach cleanup and marathon organised by NGO Outplay Sports Foundation. For Dr Dinesh Vinherkar, 49, who nursed the turtles back to health, it also marked his silver jubilee wedding anniversary with his wife, Leena Vinherkar, 49. “There’s no greater joy than celebrating by helping clean the coast and witnessing these turtles return to the sea. The timing felt like a gift from the ocean itself,” he said.
Rescue and rehabilitation
The first turtle was found on June 10, 2025, along the Chinchani-Patil Wada stretch, weak, emaciated, and with a fractured carapace. The second, a subadult, was spotted in July 2025, entangled in a ghost net near Dahanu Khadi; weak with old injuries on its carapace.
Dr Dinesh Vinherkar and his wife, Leena; (right) the vet celebrating his silver jubilee wedding anniversary
Both were brought to the Injured Sea Turtles Treatment and Transit Centre run by the Dahanu forest division, where Dr Vinherkar and his team provided comprehensive care, including antibiotics, painkillers, fluid therapy, physiotherapy, laser treatment, and swimming-ability tests before release.
13 years of conservation
Dr Vinherkar and the Wildlife Conservation and Animal Welfare Association (WCAWA) have been working with Dahanu Forest Division and the Mangrove Cell for thirteen years to rescue and rehabilitate marine animals. Over this period, the team has treated over 100 critically injured sea turtles.
Helpline
For emergencies or to report injured or stranded marine animals, contact the forest department control room at 1926.
Did you know?
Green sea turtles used to be listed as endangered by the IUCN.
All sea turtles are protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act.
They maintain seagrass, coral reefs, and nutrient flow, essential for ocean health.
The first green sea turtle hatchling in Maharashtra emerged in March 2022 at Devgad Tarkarli Beach.
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