The interviews and reporting for this story were conducted in March 2025.

For many people in Chennai, taking a night walk on Besant Nagar Beach is a dream, a peaceful escape from the busy city. But for a group of dedicated volunteers, the beach at night is where they work to protect one of the ocean’s oldest creatures — the Olive Ridley sea turtle.

Every night during the nesting season, volunteers from the Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) walk 14 kilometres along the coast, carefully searching for turtle eggs. Their goal is simple but crucial: to help the tiny hatchlings reach the sea.

“The tracks created by turtles on the beach sand before laying their eggs are the most beautiful imprints I’ve ever witnessed,” shares Gopala Krishnan HA, who has been with SSTCN for over five years.

For 36 years, SSTCN has been quietly working to protect these turtles, facing challenges like poaching, pollution, and habitat destruction. But why do these volunteers spend their nights on the beach, year after year? And what does it take to help a species that has been around for millions of years?

How did it all start?

“To understand the origin of turtle walks, one has to go 15 years before the formation of SSTCN,” shares Kartik Shanker, one of the founding members. Romulus Whitaker, the ‘Snake Man of India,’ had moved to Chennai (then Madras) to be involved in conservation efforts, starting the Madras Snake Park in 1969.

Rom’s interest then shifted towards sea turtles upon discovering that Chennai, is also a nesting ground. “They started the tradition of turtle walks in 1972 and conducted it for many years, starting this movement in Chennai,” shares Kartik.

But in 1988, the Forest Department, decided to shut down its hatcheries. “We had this crazy idea that if the forest department is going to close down these hatcheries, why don’t we run them as a student organisation?” recalls Kartik, which became the foundation for SSTCN, which continues largely to be a student-run volunteer body.

Humans — ‘destroyers’ and saviours

The Student Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) is a volunteer-driven organisation in Chennai dedicated to the conservation of Olive Ridley turtles, a vulnerable species. But why does a species that has been existing for over 120 million years require a helping hand for half a century?

“The story of the last 500 years for turtles is devastating, and now we are having to bring in........

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