Olive Ridley turtles:

Named after olive color of its heart shaped shell, Olive Ridley is one of the samllest sea turtles weighing around 80 to 100 pounds. It occurs in the tropical and warm temperate ranges of Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Commercial fishing, illegal harvesting and loss of nesting habitat has led to its decline. Their mass nesting is often destroyed by high-tides. An NGO, Tree Foundation which helps turtle conservation reported that almost 154 of these turtles were found dead in Nagapattinam shores. The presence of these turtles are extremely fundamental to the marine ecosystem and also help maintain coral reefs and sea grass beds. [caption id="attachment_6438" align="aligncenter" width="635"] A Forest Department staffer in Puducherry burying the dead olive ridley turtles on the beach in Narambai.[/caption]