Morjim Beach – For Turtle Lovers

To nature lovers all over the world and India, those who have a particular interest in turtles, the Olive Ridley turtle, then Morjim is a name that will be known. Every year Morjim sees the advent of the turtles who travel thousands of miles, to the place they were born where the female lays close to 140 eggs in dugouts in the sands. But for the last few years the no are dwindling, earlier it was the locals who poached the eggs to sell or eat. Now it is the tourists who are causing the damage. Since the late nineties efforts are being made to protect these gentle amphibians and the natives of Morjim are doing their bit to help in the conservation efforts.

Morjim is considered one of the quieter beaches in Goa, positioned between the Arabian Sea and the Chapora River, ensuring that bounty of fresh catch to wash down with coconut water, the gift of the thousand of coconut trees that line on the shore. The shore line is hedged by the hills which are wild with all kinds of flora and fauna, who have found an idyllic home in Morjim.

Morjim is steeped in many of the traditions which seem to be on the decline everywhere else in Goa. The folk dances still have a home in the hearts of the natives of Morjim and Feni – the local drink made from cashew nuts is made and stored in a big way all across Morjim. 

The story goes that the local Deity Goddess Bhagwati who sprang from the sea was fished out by the Morjes meaning fishermen in the local dialect, thus the name Morjim. There’s another story believes that the goddess came riding on a peacock, thus the local name for the bird Mhor, thus the bird can be found in abundance in the hills surrounding Morjim.