Std 9 English

2.2 A True Story of Sea Turtles

Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Nine.

Warming Up!

1Observe the photographs. What is common among all these animals? Form groups and prepare short autobiographical speeches.

Common trait: They are all endangered species. They are likely to die out completely, mainly due to human activity in their habitats.

Model Autobiographical Speech — The Tiger:

"I am the Royal Bengal Tiger, the striped king of the jungle. For centuries, my ancestors roamed freely across vast green forests, hunting gracefully to maintain the delicate balance of nature. We live solitary lives, requiring large territories to survive. However, you humans have mercilessly invaded our homes. You have chopped down our forests to build roads and factories, and hunted us down out of sheer greed for our beautiful skin and bones. Is it fair that my majestic roar is now restricted to small, fenced sanctuaries? By destroying top predators like me, you are destroying the entire ecosystem, which will eventually harm your own world. As our numbers dwindle to a mere few thousands, I stand here today ready to bid farewell. Remember, a world without the tiger is a world that has lost its wild soul."

2Hold a classroom discussion on the following topics and expand the themes on your own. (10-15 lines)

Theme Expansion: Why human beings need to use more and more natural resources.

In today's fast-paced world, the human population is exploding at an unprecedented rate. To feed, clothe, and house billions of people, there is a constant, escalating demand for natural resources such as land, water, timber, and fossil fuels. Advancements in technology and a growing desire for luxurious, comfortable lifestyles mean we are manufacturing more goods than ever before, which requires extracting massive amounts of raw materials from the Earth. Urbanization leads to the clearing of vast forests to build concrete jungles. However, this relentless consumption is highly unsustainable. We are treating the Earth's finite resources as if they were infinite. If we continue to exploit nature without allowing it time to replenish, we will soon face severe shortages, extreme climate change, and the collapse of vital ecosystems. It is high time we shift from mindless consumption to sustainable conservation.

Margin Questions

◆ What unusual occurrence did the volunteers notice?
While surveying the white-bellied sea-eagles along the coasts of Konkan, the volunteers noticed some shallow pits with white egg shells nearby, which they later found out were turtle eggs. This was unusual because they had never come across turtle eggs on those beaches in all their previous years of walking there.

◆ Why were turtle eggs seen on the beach after it had been sealed to the public? What were the implications?
The beach had been sealed to the public for nearly a month after silver brick smugglers were caught. Because human activity and egg hunters were restricted from entering the beach during that time, female turtles were able to nest safely, and the eggs remained untouched. The implication was that human interference and illegal egg poaching were the primary reasons why turtle eggs were never previously seen on these beaches.

◆ Why have these turtles been protected in India?
In India, sea turtles have been given strict protection by including them under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (giving them as much protection as tigers) because of the ruthless practice where egg hunters steal all their eggs to eat or sell, and often kill and eat the female turtles after they finish laying their eggs.

◆ Why were the people asked to look for the eggs or nests in the morning?
When a female turtle comes on shore to lay eggs, she leaves behind a distinct trail on the sand, much like the track of wheels. People were asked to look for these fresh trails in the early hours of the morning so they could locate the nests before poachers did and protect them.

◆ The elderly persons had seen the hatchlings for the first time. What does it indicate?
It indicates a tragic history of severe exploitation. For decades, locals had been stealing every single turtle egg right from their school days. Because 100% of the eggs were being stolen, eaten, or sold, no eggs were ever left to hatch naturally on the beach.

◆ Why was it necessary to undertake turtle protection on a large scale?
It was necessary because sea turtles occupy an important place in marine ecology by keeping the sea clean. Moreover, their survival rate is incredibly low (only one or two turtles out of a thousand survive the innumerable dangers in the deep sea). Without large-scale protection of their nests, the species would face severe threat of extinction.

◆ Why were those who had stolen the eggs earlier involved in the work of protection? Give at least two reasons.
1. They had excellent local knowledge and expertise in tracking and finding turtle nests on the beaches.
2. By employing them and providing them with an alternative source of income, the organization ensured that they would not return to the illegal practice of stealing and selling turtle eggs.

◆ What do the 'homestay' families do?
The 'homestay' families accommodate tourists in their homes for a fixed, uniform rate, providing them with lodging and meals during the Turtle Festival. They also donate ten percent of their homestay income to the Turtle Protection Fund.

◆ Why was the project entrusted to the local people?
The organization, Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra, believed that ultimately only the local villagers can offer excellent and sustainable protection to local species. Giving them the freedom to manage it, coupled with the economic benefits of tourism, ensures long-term success.

English Workshop

1Form groups. Discuss the first two paragraphs. Try to present their content in the form of a series of conversations among the (a) volunteers (b) the volunteers and the villagers.

Conversation between a volunteer and a villager:

Volunteer: Excuse me, sir! We found some shallow pits with white egg shells near the beach. Do you know what these are?

Villager: Oh, those are turtle eggs. The female turtles come ashore to lay them.

Volunteer: Turtle eggs? That's surprising! We have walked the Konkan beaches for years but never seen them.

Villager: Well, you saw them now because the beach was sealed off for a month. The police caught some smugglers with silver bricks here.

Volunteer: So, normally, humans take these eggs?

Villager: Yes. Early every morning, people comb the beach. They follow the tracks left by the female turtle, dig up the nests, and steal all 100 to 150 eggs. Sometimes they even kill and eat the poor turtle after she finishes laying them!

Volunteer: This is terrible! We must start a conservation project immediately.

2Prepare a short note on sea turtles with the help of the information given in the passage.

Short Note on Sea Turtles:

There are seven types of sea turtles found in the world, out of which five are found in India.
The Olive Ridley turtles nest along the entire coastline of Maharashtra, while Green turtles and Hawksbills are also found.
A female turtle reaches maturity after a gap of nearly 15 years and amazingly returns to lay her eggs at the exact same place where she was born.
She lays her eggs in a nest dug in the sand and immediately returns to the sea, never to come back to the nest.
The eggs hatch after 45 to 50 days using natural heat. The tiny hatchlings then rush towards the sea.
Their survival rate is extremely low—only one or two out of a thousand survive the dangers of the deep sea.
Sea turtles are essential for marine ecology as they perform the vital function of keeping the sea clean.

3 & 4Poster and Brochure Making

Questions 3 & 4: These are creative drawing and group discussion activities. Students should prepare a visual poster for turtle protection and design a simple homestay brochure specifying tourist precautions (e.g., maintain silence on the beach, do not use flash photography, do not touch the hatchlings).

5Explain the idea of 'Conservation of Nature through Livelihood' briefly, using the example given here.

'Conservation of Nature through Livelihood' means protecting the environment by making it economically beneficial for the local people. In Velas, earlier, villagers stole turtle eggs for food or to sell them. The Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra organization turned this around by starting the 'Turtle Festival'. Tourists began visiting the village to watch the hatchlings, and villagers provided them with 'homestay' accommodations, earning a good income. The villagers soon realized that this steady income from tourism depended entirely on the survival of the turtles. Therefore, to protect their livelihood, they actively started protecting the turtle hatchlings instead of harming them.

6Prepare bullet point presentations on the following:

(a) Scope for tourism in your locality

Historical forts and monuments that attract heritage lovers.
Local authentic cuisine that can be promoted through food festivals.
Lush green hills and trekking trails suitable for eco-tourism.
Traditional arts and handicrafts centers where tourists can buy local souvenirs.

(b) Prudent utilisation of natural resources

Implementing rainwater harvesting systems in every household.
Shifting to renewable energy sources like solar panels for electricity.
Reducing dependency on single-use plastics and promoting recycling.
Practicing sustainable agriculture to prevent soil erosion and degradation.

7Language Study: Underline the main clause in the following sentences.

There are a few people in every village who keep combing the beach in the early hours of the morning, throughout the year.
When the female turtle comes on shore to nest and to lay eggs, she leaves behind a trail just like a track of wheels on the sand.
The egg hunters follow this trail right up to the nest which is about half a metre deep.

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