Clinton... back from Morjim

It's 3:30 am almost, and I've been chatting with Clinton (not the prez!) Here's what the young man wrote... --FN

http://klintvaz.blogspot.com/ 2.54am, 130kmph, and 13 turtle hatchlings

Thought i'd pass the blog phase in my life but i guess i was wrong. Got persuaded by a friend that blogs were worth trying out. Perhaps that it is 2.54 am in the morning and i don't know if i'm sleepy or not, but i won't put too much thought into that...

I've just returned home speedily from a beach in North Goa, called Morjim. So what was a benaulikar doing 70 kms away from his hometown at that ungodly hour you ask? Watching turtles hatch and crawl to the sea ofcourse!

Well it's not everyday that you see such a happening, so armed with a camera and a 4 wheeler, i made my way to Panjim for dinner and then to Morjim where i would witness this for the first time in my life. Sujeet, one of those in charge had informed me earlier that i would be just one of the 5-6 people that night, and you can perobably imagine my horror when i saw over 150 people at a desolate beach close to midnight.

It's a sad sight to see people jostling with each other trying to get a better view perhaps, a better camera angle and this special moment becomes just another touristic sideshow. At birth, hatchlings make their way upwards, crawling through the sand with their flippers. Instinct tells them to follow the moonlight towards the sea. But with so many meddilng tourists, and flashing cameras, they get disoriented and move in circles, wearing themselves out even before they enter the sea. It was a disa pointing experience as I could not get a picture in a natural setting with the crowds milling about, nor could i enjoy the sight.

At times like this I wish we ddin't have so many tourists or perhaps these hatchings should be kept secret, at least for the sake of the turtles. This night just 13 turtles made it into the sea. I wonder how many will survive till they return back to Morjim to lay some more eggs. Probably none, but by then i guess Morjim would probably be another Calangute.

Clinton.. klintvaz at gmail.com

posted by klintvaz at 1:25 PM | 0 comments