An olive ridley sea turtle was found dead on Kadambadi Beach on Sunday morning, February 8, 2026. Forest Department officials followed protocol and buried the carcass on the beach. December to March is the peak nesting season for olive ridley turtles along the Tamil Nadu coast. A senior Forest Department official said that 11 olive ridley turtles have already washed ashore dead this season in the district. Most deaths are suspected to be caused by collisions with fishing vessels. Despite awareness campaigns and warnings for fishermen, such accidents continue. The Forest Department has increased coastal patrols, especially from 3 a.m. onwards, to spot injured turtles and rescue them. "In many cases, turtles are struck by fishing vessels and are found in a decomposed state, making even post-mortem examination impossible," said the official. At the same time, the Forest Department has collected about 15,000 olive ridley eggs from different nesting sites. These eggs have been moved to hatcheries. The young turtles are expected to be released back into the sea by mid-February.