Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Nesting of Andaman Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a critical nesting site for olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and other marine turtle species in the Bay of Bengal. Little Andaman, South Andaman beaches, and the islands of the Nicobar group host seasonal nesting aggregations. The Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department runs a sea turtle nest protection programme, with tribal communities deputised as nest watchers. The Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of the Nicobar Islands — the Nicobarese and Shompen — have traditionally had cultural relationships with marine turtles as a food source. Modern conservation now discourages turtle consumption, with community consent and alternative livelihood support. Olive ridley turtles return to the same nesting beach annually — a behaviour called natal homing. The Islands Development Agency has incorporated turtle nesting site protection into ecotourism development planning. Climate change threatens nesting beach temperature conditions which determine hatchling sex ratios.