On the rare occurrence of a giant sized Hawksbill turtle off Elephanta caves (near Bombay)

a turtle weighing 80 kg was caught in a 18.3 m long and sturdy drift net (called "jali" in maharashtra) operated off elephanta caves, a rocky and sandy sea resort of historical and tourist interest about 18 km south of bombay, on 2-9-1981. Earher records of hawksbill turtle reveal that it grows upto 724 mm in carapace length and weighing 50 kg as reported off jabal azig island, in the gulf of aden. The present record of the hawksbill from the arabian sea off bombay appears to be the highest both in carapace length and weight