Protecting Olive Ridley Turtles from Light Pollution
Every year between November and March, thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive on the Rushikulya coast in Odisha to lay their eggs in one of the largest nesting events in the world. But these ancient creatures face a modern threat — artificial light from coastal roads, fishing villages, and shrimp processing units disorients nesting females and draws hatchlings away from the ocean toward deadly inland areas.
The Problem
Studies have documented that hatchlings exposed to white artificial lighting are up to 10 times more likely to move inland instead of toward the sea. On beaches near bright light sources, hatchling mortality can exceed 50%. Each year, thousands of baby turtles die from dehydration, predation, and vehicle strikes after being lured away from the ocean by coastal lights.
Our Solution
The Turtle-Safe Coasts campaign works with local communities to implement turtle-friendly lighting along critical nesting beaches:
- Replacing white lights with amber-filtered, fully shielded fixtures that do not disorient turtles
- Installing motion sensors to minimize the duration of nighttime lighting near beaches
- Training local volunteers to patrol beaches during nesting season and assist disoriented hatchlings
- Working with fishing communities to adopt turtle-safe lighting on boats and processing facilities
- Monitoring and documenting the impact of lighting changes on nesting success and hatchling survival
Your Impact
A donation of just Rs. 500 can replace one harmful white light with a turtle-safe amber fixture. Rs. 5,000 can train a team of local volunteers for an entire nesting season. Your contribution directly protects one of the world's most endangered marine species.