Maldives fights to keep turtle eggs off dining tables

Local tastes for traditional delicacy threaten the animals' survival

Juvenile hawksbill turtle swimming up to breath Credit_ Olive Ridley Project.JPG

A young hawksbill turtle swims toward the surface in waters off the Maldives. (Courtesy of Olive Ridley Project)

REBECCA L. ROOT, Contributing writer

July 20, 2023 08:00 JST

MALE, Maldives -- On the uninhabited Maldivian island of Gaadhoo, green turtle eggs lie buried in the sand, waiting to hatch. Sea turtle ranger Ibrahim Inaan visits three times a week to monitor their progress, but the fear is that only half of the estimated 100 eggs in each nest will hatch, allowing the newborn turtles to cross the few meters of beach to the Indian Ocean. The other half will be eaten in omelets, porridge or pancakes.