The Chennai seacoast is a breeding ground for the endangered Olive Ridley turtles. The ‘Turtle Walk’ is an initiative aimed at educating the fishing community and the general public living near the beach on the need to protect Oliver Ridley turtles and its turtle nests. The walk covers a distance of seven km and is organized by an NGO named the Kadal Aamai Padhukavalargal (Sea Turtle Protection Force). 

On March 2, 2007, 28 employees from SIPS Chennai participated in the Turtle Walk that started at 9.30 pm from the office and reached the Turtle hatchery at Neelankarai beach, Chennai at 11.00 PM. During the walk, the participants were briefed by volunteers of Kadal Aamai Padhukavalargal on various aspects of conservation of Olive Ridley turtles. 

During the night, under normal conditions, the sea is a brighter source of light than the land. But now with urbanization and nighttime lighting, the shore is brighter than the sea at night. This distracted the Olive Ridley turtles that came ashore to lay eggs. Even the hatchlings get distracted. Instead of going in the direction of the sea, the hatchlings and adults strayed towards human habitations. The activists pointed out that it is vital to provide shades on the bright lights facing the beach. 

The SIPS employees, during their walk, began their enthusiastic search for turtles and their egg-laden nests, they were lucky enough to witness at close quarters, a large Turtle come ashore, dig its nest in the sand, lay eggs, cover the nest, and then walk back into the sea. With the help of the volunteers, they were able to trace many such nests and dig out the Turtle eggs. While newborns are prone to attack by crows and dogs, adult turtles faced the threat of being run over by vehicles. A record number of over 500 eggs were collected and carried back to the hatchery where they would be kept safely for hatching, and once hatched, released into the sea. They also rescued a lone baby turtle, which could have been hatched from one of the undiscovered nests, and had strayed away on account of the distracting lights on the shore. They carried it to the sea, and let it free in the water. The walk on the beach lasted four hours. 

Overall, the event was a proud moment for SIPS – in terms of not just being enlightened on the importance of Wild life conservation, but to be an active participant in the efforts.