From the tracks they discovered on the sands of Morjim Bay later that morning, forestry officials in Goa knew the endangered turtle had a traumatic nocturnal homecoming.

After riding in on the high tide before dawn on December 15, the shortsighted Olive Ridley crept up the beach where it was born, once deserted but now one of India's most popular, in search of a secluded spot to unload its precious cargo.