Protected Areas with Turtle

Important marine protected areas with turtle nesting grounds

• Gulf of Kutch Marine Sanctuary and Marine National park (two areas): Important for fringing reefs, mud and sand flats, coastal marsh, mangrove forest (about 50,000 hectares) probably best developed on western Indian coast, nesting green turtles, occasional leatherback and Olive Ridley; dugong sometimes present; resident and migratory birds.
  
  

• Gulf of Munnar Marine National Park (20,000 hectares, of which 623 hectares is land): Most important mangroves in southern India, seagrass beds, many small islands major green turtle feeding ground, occasional olive ridleys, dugong, dolphins, coral reefs, etc.
  
  
• Malvan Sanctuary: Important for coral reefs, sandy beaches, turtle nesting and mangroves.
  
  
• Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary: Islands and beaches located in a delta area on the coast of Orissa: globally important site for nesting Olive Ridleys.
  

• Gahirmatha Wildlife Sanctuary: important for saltwater crocodile (main Indian population); mangroves, Olive Ridley turtle nesting.
  
  

• Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park: The richest coral reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Andaman Sea Ecoregion) and home to four turtle species; dugong; mangroves, etc.