Mangrove Foundation

HAPPY WORLD OTTER DAY!

Playful by nature, essential by role — celebrating otters and the ecosystems they nurture
Poster by *tija.parkar

Over the past 10 days, Dhaval Lakshmi has exhibited limited movement off the Karwar coast, likely foraging along the continental shelf break. After traveling and pausing at various points in the Arabian Sea, the turtle has settled in an area previously frequented by tagged Maharashtra turtles. Her current location is approximately 150 km off the Goa-Karnataka border coast.

The Mangrove Foundation organized a mangrove trail and flamingo watch at Thane Creek for a total of 20 students—15 from D. G. Ruparel College and 5 from Jhunjhunwala College on the occasion of International Biological Diversity Day.

The book “Guardians of Maharashtra Coast: Maha Mangroves – At a Glance” was released by the Hon’ble Forest Minister, Shri Ganeshji Naik, during the 11th Governing Body Meeting of the Mangrove Foundation held on 12 May 2026. The book highlights the various initiatives of Mangrove Cell and Mangrove Foundation for the conservation of mangroves and marine ecosystem along the coast of Maharashtra.

After nearly six months of tracking Dhaval Lakshmi’s movements, the turtle has now been observed travelling from the open waters of the Arabian sea towards the southwestern coast of India, moving along the edge of the continental shelf. The timing and direction of this journey closely match movement patterns recorded in turtles tagged from Maharashtra during 2022–2023. It appears that the turtle may be heading toward the Malabar upwelling zone, which becomes active during the monsoon and brings nutrient-rich waters to the surface, creating productive foraging grounds along the shelf edge.

Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day with the return journey of our Common Redshank (0U9).
Tagged at Thane Creek on 24 Jan 2020, this individual has been resighted in 2020, 2022, and again in 2026—returning to the same place across years.
A beautiful example of site fidelity, and a reminder of the importance of Thane Creek Ramsar site in supporting migratory birds along their long journeys.

The satellite tagged turtle 'Dhaval Lakshmi' is continuing its eastward movement at increasing speeds. It is currently located 300 km off Ratnagiri and is expected to enter the continental shelf of the west coast in the coming days.

Five months after her release from Dahanu, Dhaval Lakshmi, the rehabilitated olive ridley turtle, has traversed the Arabian Sea and is now exhibiting southward movements. Last week, she slowed her pace in a highly productive area before resuming movement toward the southeast. She is currently located 800 km west of Ratnagiri, heading toward the continental shelf of India.

Over the past week, the satellite tagged turtle 'Dhaval Lakshmi' has exhibited a change in its behavior. Compared to the previous week, it has slowed its pace, entering a phase likely indicative of foraging.
This change may be influenced by the high productivity in the area, which could be providing favourable feeding conditions.