Riddle of the Ridley
by Shekar Dattatri
“Riddle of the Ridley” by Shekar Dattatri. Published by Tulika. An interesting non-fiction book that chronicles the amazing annual journey of the Olive Ridley turtles and the role that we can play in the conservation of these magnificent creatures.
Shekar Dattatri is a wildlife film maker and a passionate conservationist. According to him, the most fascinating thing that he has filmed is the mass nesting of thousands of Olive Ridley Turtles and the subsequent emergence of millions of hatchlings on a remote beach called Gahirmatha in Odisha. This phenomenon of mass nesting by sea turtles is known as arribada which translates to arrival in Spanish. This phenomenal event occurs at large scale in only three places in the world out of which one is Odisha.
Shekar explains more details about arribada and his narrative is supported by photographs taken by him as well as other photographers. Though we know that the ridleys nest once a year, there are many mysteries surrounding their annual journey. A lot of riddles about them are yet to be solved like how they manage to come to the same beach every year and where do they come from. Research is being carried on by scientists to learn more about aspects like these. The turtles face a lot of hazards while making the journey to lay their eggs. Some of them die en route. The survival of the hatchlings also faces several challenges. Man made as well as threat of being eaten by predators.
What are the ways in which we can let the hatchlings have a better chance of survival? How can we ensure that the ridleys are not disturbed during the nesting season? All of this and more has been explained in an easy to understand manner. The photographs drive home the point very well.
My almost eight year old loved the book. He appreciated the hard work and time that had been spent documenting the nesting and hatching process. He had already read a book on turtles earlier called “Waiting For Turtles” by Pankaj Sekhsaria and attended its launch session. Pankaj had spoken quite a bit about turtle nesting in that session. So the foundation for the topic was already in place. Also, “Shell Shocker”, the card game on turtles that we have been playing in the last few weeks had increased our knowledge about turtles. This made reading the book even more enjoyable.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 8+.
Reasons to Read
To know about the spectacular annual phenomenon of the nesting of the Olive Ridley Turtles.
To be aware of the threats faced by the turtles and what can be done for their conservation.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tulika Books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.