A group of endangered turtle hatchlings that were saved as eggs were released into the ocean in south India on (March 5).

This year 131 hatchings were released into the sea in the Rameshwaram coastal area in Tamil Nadu after hatching from a clutch laid earlier this year.

The turtle eggs are collected by Forest officials from clutches laid by turtle mothers on the beach, then buried in a protected section of beach safe from predators.

Collected eggs are kept underneath the sand for a period of 48 to 54 days, after which the new hatchings are released into the sea, often in the evening or early morning to allow the little turtles to move in cooler temperatures.

Footage shows patrollers in teams of three searching the area for mother turtle tracks, or loose patches of sand recently dug up by laying turtles.

Hunt for the turtle eggs – A breeding tale of turtles in South India.

A turtle may travel all over the world through the years, but when nesting seasons comes, it will return to the exact spot where it was born. It will come to the coastline of Tamilnadu and it will dig nests in the sand and lay eggs

The patrollers, in teams of three, hope to spot the turtle tracks, and then circle the whole area around the tracks to search. they search for eggs, but that is hidden inside the unusually soft and loose sand. The sand in usual spots, where there is no egg, will be tight and packed — hard enough for adults to walk or children to frolic on. The area with eggs underneath will be soft, because the sand would have been dug and repacked. These areas, if poked lightly with a stick, act almost as miniature sink-holes.

Then the eggs are collected and are preserved in a separate area that is safe from predators. Collected eggs are kept underneath the sand for a period of 48 to 54 days. Later the hatchings will be left in the sea.

Generally, hatching and the release of hatchlings into the sea only happens in the evening, after sunset, when the temperature is more suitable for the newborns. And that is a sight to behold scores of little creatures smaller than a fist, bursting with urgency, making their steady, frantic way to the cool ocean under the calm moon, as their human caretakers cheer them on.

This year 131 hatchings are left in the sea in Rameshwaram coastal area according to the District forest official Marriappan.