In A Miracle Comeback, Olive Ridley Turtles Return To Mumbai's Versova Beach After 20 Years

It was nothing short of a miracle when endangered Olive Ridley turtles emerged on Mumbai's Versova beach.

afroz Shah/twitter

Their appearance came after two decades. A bunch of volunteers came across several Olive Ridley hatchlings on the beach while cleaning. They called the forest officials and ensured that the turtles found their way into the sea without any trouble.

afroz shah/twitter

Also read:?More Than 4 Lakh Olive Ridley Turtle Nests Spotted In Odisha, Tourists Warned Not To Disturb Them

Afroz Shah, the champion of green initiative in India who had previously started the beach clean-up drive in 2015, was at the beach when the volunteers noticed the hatchlings.?

Shah tweeted pictures and wrote,

Over 80 hatchlings safely made their passage to the Arabian Sea late on Thursday.?

"We were told by officials that the last such sighting of Olive Ridley turtles on the beach was 20 years ago," Shah told PTI. He said, "constant cleaning of the beach helps marine species."

Another volunteer said, "I have witnessed something surreal ...a life-changing experience... 80 Olive Ridley turtles walking back to the sea."

afroz shah/twitter

Sanjay Nirupam, the former Congress Member of Indian Parliament, also welcomed the turtles on Twitter.?

Also read:?Good News! Endangered Olive Ridley Turtles In Odisha Lay 3.55 Lakh Eggs In One Week!

After reading scores of articles on how Olive Ridley turtles were washing dead on the many Indian shores, this news comes as a respite, especially for the environmentalists.