Velas Turtle Festival

Olive ridley turtles nest on the Konkan beaches, and at Velas the eggs were routinely collected and eaten until a conservation initiative from 2002 persuaded the village to protect them instead. Nests are now moved to a fenced hatchery above the tide line, guarded through incubation, and when the hatchlings emerge after around fifty days they are released at dawn or dusk and walk down the sand to the sea while visitors watch from behind a line. The village runs homestays, and the arrangement is that turtle protection is paid for by visitors rather than by egg collection.

What to look for

• The hatchery - fenced nests guarded above the tide line.
• The releases - hatchlings walking down the sand at dawn or dusk.
• The village homestays - accommodation run by the families who guard the nests.
• The beach - a long quiet Konkan sand with a river mouth at one end.

When to go

February to April, when hatchings occur; the exact days depend on when nests were laid and cannot be predicted precisely, so a visit may or may not coincide with a release.

What to expect

Releases are not scheduled and may not happen during a given stay. Touching or photographing with flash is prohibited and harmful. Accommodation is simple village homestays with shared facilities and no hotels.

Nearby

Bankot fort lies north; Ratnagiri is south.