Olive ridley turtle

Scientific Name

Lepidochelys olivacea

IUCN Status

Vulnerable (VU)

Lifespan

50-60 years

Weight

25-45 kg

Length

60-70 cm

Range

Tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; east and west coasts in India

Threats

Hunting for meat, eggs harvested, fishing nets, marine plastic

Did You Know

Exhibit synchronised mass nesting called arribada

IUCN Status

Vulnerable (VU)

Lifespan

50-60 years

Weight

25-45 kg

Length

60-70 cm

Range

Tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; east and west coasts in India

Threats

Hunting for meat, eggs harvested, fishing nets, marine plastic

Did You Know

Exhibit synchronised mass nesting called arribada

Through videos, stories, infographics and more, here's a deep dive into the world and life of the olive ridley turtle.

Deep Dive

Photos, stories, videos and everything you want to know

Miracle on a Beach: A Night with the Ancients Learn More chevron_right
12 Results
Arribadabadoo! The Olive Ridley Turtle Arribada Breaks All Records
Green Humour
Arribadabadoo! The Olive Ridley Turtle Arribada Breaks All Records
Rohan Chakravarty
Cartoons on wildlife, the environment, and conservation
By
Rohan Chakravarty
Green Humour
Turtle Tales: Conservation Along India’s Coast
Conservation
Turtle Tales: Conservation Along India’s Coast
Nayantara Lakshman
At Agonda beach in Goa’s Canacona district, a record 181 olive ridley turtles nested in 2024. The beach also has a hatchery to safeguard eggs and hatchlings from predators, aid research, combat poaching, and offer ecotourism and educational opportunities
By
Nayantara Lakshman
Conservation
Saving Olive Ridley turtles in Visakhapatnam
Conservation
Saving Olive Ridley turtles in Visakhapatnam
Amrutha Kosuru/People’s Archive of Rural India
PARI
Fishermen and migrant workers are rescuing the endangered turtle – one egg at a time
By
Amrutha Kosuru/People’s Archive of Rural India
PARI
Conservation
Circle of Life: When Olive Ridley Turtles Return to Nest
Video
Circle of Life: When Olive Ridley Turtles Return to Nest
Biont
Sustain Team
Female olive ridley turtles have strong natal instincts. Year after year, they return to land, often to the same beach they were born on, to lay eggs. We take you to Odisha's mass nesting sites, and a few other Indian shores, for a magical sneak peek.
By
Biont
Sustain Team
Video
Olive Ridleys: When One in a Thousand Survives
Photo Story
Olive Ridleys: When One in a Thousand Survives
Saloni Sawant
Dhritiman Mukherjee
The life of an olive ridley sea turtle is fraught with peril. Even before they hatch, they face predators. Once hatchlings emerge, they continue to encounter a never-ending series of human-created dangers and natural obstacles
By
Saloni Sawant
Dhritiman Mukherjee
Photo Story
Olive Ridley Turtles Threatened by Upcoming Port in Karnataka
Conservation
Olive Ridley Turtles Threatened by Upcoming Port in Karnataka
Supriya Vohra
An upcoming port and the corresponding road and railway network could destroy a turtle nesting region in Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district
By
Supriya Vohra
Conservation
Wildlife Puzzle: Olive Ridley Turtle
Interactive
Wildlife Puzzle: Olive Ridley Turtle
Sustain Team
Put together this jigsaw to see an olive ridley turtle take a dip in Odisha
By
Sustain Team
Interactive
Olive Ridley Turtle: Facts, Diet, and Nesting
Infographic
Olive Ridley Turtle: Facts, Diet, and Nesting
Nisarg Prakash
Diviya Mehra
All you need to know about the most abundant sea turtles in the world
By
Nisarg Prakash
Diviya Mehra
Infographic
Ecotourism, and the Olive Ridley Turtles of Dapoli
Conservation
Ecotourism, and the Olive Ridley Turtles of Dapoli
Anushka Kawale
In coastal Maharashtra, conservationists navigate the impacts of beach-loving travellers on this vulnerable reptile
By
Anushka Kawale
Conservation
Miracle on a Beach: A Night with the Ancients
Species
Miracle on a Beach: A Night with the Ancients
Swati Thiyagarajan
The arribada or the mass nesting of olive Ridleys is nothing short of magic. Year after year, the turtles return to the land, to the very beach they were born in, to lay eggs
By
Swati Thiyagarajan
Species
A Half Century of Sea Turtle Conservation
Column
A Half Century of Sea Turtle Conservation
Kartik Shanker
Contrary to popular belief, sea turtles are doing better than they have in decades, and we may need to rethink how to conserve them
By
Kartik Shanker
Column
Arribada: The Mystery of the Olive Ridley Turtle Migration
Wild Vault
Arribada: The Mystery of the Olive Ridley Turtle Migration
Sustain Team
How do these gentle sea creatures navigate thousands of kilometres to find the beach where they were born?
By
Sustain Team
Wild Vault