Velas Beach, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra India

Velas might look like any other beach, but what makes this beach special is that it happens to be a nesting ground for Olive Ridley Turtles. The Olive Ridleys migrate across thousands of kilometers to lay eggs on these shores every year. About 20 – 60 nests are found every year onshore. Velas Turtle Festival is an event organized by two non-profit organizations called Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra and Kasav Mitra Mandal.

Velas is also one of the popular breeding sites of Olive Ridley, which is an endangered species of turtle. The hatchlings are heading towards the sea from the shore now-a-days. And we have at least 80% chances to see the emergence of these little new born turtles.