• Tips for navigating the season

As a city, Colombo sees an incredible amount of biodiversity within it. Its location by the beach also means we see a lot of marine life quite close to home, oftentimes without even knowing it. For example, January to March is sea turtle nesting season, and every year the beaches of Colombo and its neighbouring towns play home to sea turtles looking to nest. 

Sri Lanka is something of a haven for sea turtles, with its waters being home to five of the seven species of marine turtles: the green turtle, olive ridley, hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). These turtles display unique nesting behaviours, often preferring darker, less illuminated beaches with calm, shallow waters, such as those found in Wellawatta, Dehiwala, and Mount Lavinia. 

The beaches from Galle Face to Angulana predominantly welcome olive ridley turtles from among the five species that visit Sri Lanka’s shores. Colombo’s beaches are most often frequented by the olive ridley turtle as a nesting ground, with beaches in other parts of the island being frequented by other species. 

The turtle nesting process is an interesting one – they mate in shallow waters, come ashore, lay their eggs on the beach, and in a few weeks the eggs hatch and the hatchlings make their way back into the ocean.

Turtles lay eggs in clutches of about 100 eggs on average, in holes about 1.5 feet deep, which they then cover back up with sand, packing them tightly with their flippers. About two months later, hatchlings emerge and using the light of the moon, make their way to the ocean where they begin their individual life journeys. 

Until about 15 years of age, turtles are still juveniles and not mature enough to reproduce, and when they do start mating they return to the same place where they hatched to lay their own eggs. This extended period to reach maturity means that many turtles don’t make it to adulthood and back to the beach to nest. 

The challenges of nesting turtles

Despite the overall serenity that envelops Colombo’s coastal landscape, nesting turtles face a myriad of challenges that threaten their very existence and that of their offspring. Human interference, habitat degradation, and climate change all play a part. From a climate perspective, temperature plays a huge role in turtle populations. 

The Pearl Protectors Coordinator Muditha Katuwawala gave The Sunday Morning Brunch some insight on some of the biggest challenges faced by nesting turtles. 

“In general, there is a lack of awareness on turtle nesting because it happens in the night, so a lot of people don’t see it,” Katuwawala explained, adding that turtles usually came to shore in the night to lay their eggs, making it very rare to see a turtle nesting during the day. 

This, he noted, combined with the fact that turtles laid their eggs and then covered them back up quite tightly, meant that many people were unaware that turtles even nested on Colombo’s beaches. 

But those who know, know. And often this can mean poaching. “People don’t hunt the turtles, although turtles being killed for meat is a problem; they also steal the eggs because there is a demand for turtle eggs. In Sri Lanka there is a myth that these eggs are very high in protein and are very good for you, especially for pregnant women. 

“They are also believed to help with other illnesses, but there is no scientific weight to this; it’s a traditional thing that has been happening without understanding just how high the mortality of sea turtles is – out of every 1,000 hatchlings that leave our shores, only one returns to lay eggs,” Katuwawala said, stressing that that while these myths had been largely disproven, they still persisted in the social mindset. 

Other human interference that can impact nesting turtles, especially in urban areas, is light and sound pollution. Colombo being a city can also confuse hatchlings, which use light and magnetic waves to guide themselves to the ocean after hatching. The lights of nearby buildings can sometimes distract hatchlings, whose journey to the ocean is hard enough as it is without being turned around the wrong way. Sound vibrations also tend to disorient hatchlings.

Katuwawala also urged exercising caution when it came to turtle hatcheries, saying: “Be cautious about hatcheries, as many operate illegally and often prioritise profit over conservation. They often keep hatchlings in tanks, which is harmful to their development. The business model of keeping hatchlings inside tanks is wrong – they are not pets.”

With turtle nesting and hatching being such a delicate process, there is some help needed in giving these turtles their best chance, and one such initiative that focuses on protecting turtles while they nest is Turtle Patrol – an exclusively volunteerism-driven project run by The Pearl Protectors for over three years. 

Turtle Patrol focuses on ex situ conservation, moving turtle nests to safer places where they are better protected from human intervention. This is one of the most effective ways to protect turtle nests until the eggs hatch and hatchlings make it to the sea. 

During turtle nesting season, Turtle Patrol volunteers patrol the beaches of Wellawatta, Dehiwala, and Mount Lavinia, finding turtle nests and alerting the Coast Guard, which then moves these nests closer to its posts where they can be better watched and protected. 

Protecting turtle nests

Brunch also asked Katuwawala what to do if one comes across turtles this nesting season. 

General tips for beachgoers

• Always maintain a respectful distance from turtles and hatchlings.
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• Avoid using flash photography or bright lights.
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• If you find a turtle or hatchling in distress, contact the Coast Guard; intervene only as a last resort. 

If you see a nesting turtle

• Contact the authorities: In urban areas, call the Coast Guard immediately. While they are not stationed everywhere, they are active in key locations like Dehiwala, Wellawatta, Mount Lavinia, Panadura, and Moragalla. The Coast Guard can safely relocate the nest for protection (ex situ conservation).
• Give the turtle space: If no authorities are available, ensure you and others maintain at least 20 feet of distance. Avoid touching or disturbing the turtle, taking photos, or using flash photography. “The best thing to do is to give space to the sea turtle,” Katuwawala said. “Don’t take photos, don’t pet them, and definitely don’t use flash photography – it causes stress to the animals.”
• Help prevent poaching: After the turtle leaves, erase its tracks leading to the nest. Poachers often use these tracks to locate nests. “That’s how poachers find them,” explained Katuwawala. “Covering the tracks gives the sea turtles a better chance of survival.”

If you see hatchlings

• Do not touch: Avoid direct contact as bacteria from your hands can harm them. The same goes for adult turtles. If hatchlings are scattered, gently scoop them up using a coconut shell, a box, or your hands (after creating a protective layer of sand between you and the hatchlings). Place them about 10-15 feet from the high tide line where the water meets the sand.
• Create a clear pathway: Use a flashlight to guide the hatchlings towards the water. Shine the light on the ground a few feet ahead of them, never directly in their eyes.
• Release them at night: Always release hatchlings at night or after sunset. Katuwawala stressed: “It’s important to release them at night or after sunset. This gives them the chance to move to shallow reefs in darkness and avoid predators like birds and fish.”