Five months after being released off Dahanu, satellite-tagged Olive Ridley turtle Dhaval Lakshmi has crossed the Arabian Sea and is now heading south, after earlier travelling towards Oman and turning back. The turtle, which briefly slowed in a productive zone last week, has resumed a Southeast movement and is currently around 800 km west of Ratnagiri, making her way towards India’s continental shelf.

Official Speak

Dr Suresh Kumar, senior scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India, said that Dhaval Lakshmi has moved across the Northern Arabian Sea. At one point she moved close to Oman and, after circling around for a while, has now started to head southeast towards Maharashtra.  “After briefly slowing in a productive zone last week, she has now resumed a southeast movement and is around 800 km west of Ratnagiri now.”