Witnessing a baby turtle coming out of the egg and then finding its way to the sea by those baby steps, is an unforgettable moment.
Anjarle is a small port village nestled on the coastline of Ratnagiri district which is famous for its 2 km long stretch of white sand surrounded by palm trees, Kadyavarcha Ganpati temple and Konkani lifestyle. After the ongoing conservation taken at Velas, an initiative was taken by Anjarle Gram panchayat, Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra, Kasav Mitra Mandal-Anjarle, Nirmal Sagar Tat Abhiyan and Maharashtra forest department to conserve Olive Ridley Turtle by protecting their eggs which are found at Anjarle shoreline.
Anjarle Turtle Festival
In recent years, the tiny village of Anjarle in Maharashtra bears witness to a truly heart-warming sight as hundreds of newly hatched Olive Ridley Turtles take their first steps towards the big blue sea.
Anjarle Turtle Festival is aimed at conserving the eggs of Olive Ridley Turtles that are one of the endangered species. Upon maturity, these hatchlings are then released into the sea under the watchful eyes of volunteers. Witnessing the birth of these tiny turtles and their maiden journey towards the sea is a sight to behold. It signifies the value of life, no matter how small, in this big beautiful world!
Anjarle is not only home to turtles but also to a myriad of ecotourism flavours. When you are done with turtle sightings, there is so much more in store including a village walk, the trip to the historic Suvarnadurg fort and well famous temple, Kadyavarcha Ganpati, Shree Keshavraj (Lord Vishnu) and Shree Vyaghreshwar (Lord Shiva) in the sacred groves.
Accommodation in a local homestay will truly add a warm touch to the experience. It gives you a feel of home away from home.
1. Only female turtles will come back to the breeding site for laying their eggs. Male turtles will never come back to the beach again.
2. Female turtles will visit the shore during the late evening, make a pit on the sandy beach, lay the eggs in the pit, cover it up with their fins and then leave back to sea, to never come back.
Suvarnadurg is a fort that is located on a small island in the Arabian Sea, near Harnai in Konkan. Enjoy a boat ride from Harnai jetty towards Suvarnadurg fort located in the middle of the sea if you are lucky we can spot dolphins nearby.
The literal meaning of Suvarnadurg is “Golden Fort” as it was considered as the pride or the “feather in the golden cap of Marathas”. Built for the Maratha navy for defence purposes, the fort also had a shipbuilding facility. The basic objective of establishing the fort was to counter enemy attacks, mainly by the colonialists of Europe and also by the local chieftains.
Shivajinagar > Swargate > Katraj > Mahabaleshwar > Khed > Anjarle (Base)
22:00 – Shivajinagar
22:30 – Nal Stop
22:59 – Chandani Chauk
Please come 15 minutes before at your pickup point to avoid getting late.
