Rare occurrence of leatherback turtle at Visakhapatnam

Abstract

Nesting of olive ridley turtles have been reported frequently along Visakhapatnam coast but there are few reports of leatherback turtle along this coast. On 10th September, 2016, a leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea accidentally entangled in a monofilament gill net operated by a country craft at 30 to 40 m depths at Mutyalammapalem about 50 km south of Visakhapatnam, was brought to the landing centre by fishermen. Later it was released back into the sea