Turtle and Tours in Pakistan

Turtle watching is a great attraction for tourists, scientists, students and all nature lovers. It adds fascination-watching a female turtle wandering at night on golden sand, finding calm and quite natural environment to nest on the beaches of Sandspit and Hawksbay. These beaches are the only places for relaxation and enjoyment for tourist particularly when they are in transit and spend night on sea side where turtles provide them an added attraction besides education and awareness. Sindh Wildlife Department welcomes every one for turtle watching and endeavors to carry out conservation message to the public through print and electronic media.

Turtles are reptiles along with crocodiles, snakes and lizards. Being cold blooded, they need to come of the rocks for basking or resting and raise their body temperature. The behavior limits their distribution in the tropical and subtropical oceans of the world. Pakistan is a global important to the survival of the endangered marine turtles. It’s beaches with golden sand support one of the world’s few remaining turtle nesting rounds in the Indian Ocean. The beaches of Sandspit and Hawkes Bay in Karachi are included among major turtle nesting grounds in the world. The closest relative of the turtles are Tortoises (land dwelling) and Terrapins (fresh water species), although similar in may ways but each is evolved in a specific environment leading to certain differences.

TURTLES

Turtles are well adapted for living in the sea, but some on the surface to breath and lay eggs on sandy seashore. They have streamlines body with enlarges, flattened shell and ear shaped flippers without any claw for swimming. Thwy can not withdraw their limbs and head inside the shell.

TORTOISES

Tortoises have domed shells, their limbs and head can be withdrawn under the upper shall (carapace) for protection, limbs with clas, adapted for walking.

TERRAPINS

Terrapins are semi-aquatic, living in fresh water and sometimes spend their life on land. Their shells are less domes to adjust this dual life and limbs are webbed for swimming and sometime crawling.

MATINE TURTLES

Marine turtles are living dinosaurs, belonging to the oldest class, of Reptilian. Their fossil record date back to about 200 million years. Besides being a vital part of marine food chain, they are commercially, scientifically and culturally important all over the world. In Japan, turtles were regarded as symbol of happiness and good fortune because of their potentially long life span. There are eight (8) marine turtles found in the world.

GREEN TURTLE (CHELONIA MYDAS)
FLATBACK TURTLE (C. DEPRESSA)
AUSTRALIAN EASTERN PACIFIC GREEN TURTLE (C.AGGSSZI)
OLIVE OR PACITIC RIDLEY (LEPIDOCHELYSE OLIVACEA)
KEMP’S OR ATALANTIC RIDLEY (L.KEMPAI)
LOGGERHEAD TURTILE (CRETTA)
HAWKSBILL TURTLE (ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA)
LEATHERBACK TURTLE (DERMOCHELYS CORIACEA)

Out of them only green turtle and olive Ridley are found nesting and laying eggs on Karachi coast.

GREEN TURTLE (CHELONIA MYDAS)

Green turtle is distributed world wise in warm seas of tropical and subtropical oceans in Pakistan they nest throughout the entire coastline particularly on the beach of Sandspit and Hawkes Bay in Karachi. Approximately 900 turtles nest every year on these beaches. The beaches of Sandspit and Hawkes Bay are included among major nesting areas of green turtles in the world. Green Turtle is distinguished by a small bluntly rounded head with one pair of elongated plates between nostrils and the top of the eye, upper shall or adult female varies from 3-1/2 – 4 ft. long and 3-3-1/2 broad while weight is approximately 300 lbs. It is herbivorous, feds on sea weeks whereas hatching is carnivorous as feed son plankton.

OLIVE RIDLEY (LEPIDOCHELYS OLIVACEA)

Olive riddly nests rarely on Karachi beaches during the months from June to August. It is distributed in tropical areas. Adults have abroad head and pale olive gray shell with more than five pairs of lateral scutes. Olive riddly is the smallest among marine turtles with an average size of having same length and breadth (1-1/2 ft) It feeds mainly on plankton, shrimps and crabs.