Hundreds of dead sea turtles are washing ashore on India's coast Over 400 endangered sea turtles have washed ashore on India's east coast near the city of Chennai in the last two weeks in an event not witnessed in over two decades.
In a typical year, the city's coastline can expect between 100 to 200 adult turtle deaths, said Shravan Krishnan, a volunteer with Chennai-based Students Sea Turtles Conservation Network.
It's the highest number officials have seen since 2014, more than 900 olive ridley turtles were found dead along the southern Indian coast.
But the species has been threatened for years as the number of nesting beaches around the world shrinks, and mass deaths like these can be caused by fishing nets that can catch and harm the species.
“This year, we've already crossed 200 dead turtles in a little more than two weeks,” he said.
