Hyderabad photographer Sathish Lal Andhekar earns prestigious Royal Photographic Society honor

This accolade is the second highest distinction conferred to individuals in the field of photography.

Hyderabad: Rcognizing his contributions to the field of photography, Hyderabad-based photographer Sathish Lal Andhekar has been awarded the Associate honor by the esteemed Royal Photographic Society (RPS) of Great Britain. This accolade is the second highest distinction conferred to individuals in the field of photography.

Andhekar’s recognition comes from his decade-long photo documentation of the Olive Ridley turtles along the coast of Odisha. His compelling body of work captures the lifecycle of these endangered creatures and highlights the significant threats they face.

The Odisha coast witnesses a remarkable natural phenomenon annually, where between 8 lakh to 10 lakh of Olive Ridley turtles come ashore to lay eggs within a span of ten days. Each female turtle deposits around 150 to 180 eggs, resulting in millions of hatchlings emerging roughly 45 days later, making their perilous journey to the sea.

“This award is the culmination of a decade of hard work. I’ve traveled to Odisha about 40 times,” said Andhekar. “After Mexico, mass nesting event at such large scale happens only here and When I learned that they were at risk of extinction, I felt compelled to document their lives. After missing them on my first two trips, I became even more determined to capture their lifecycle,” he added.

Despite their prolific breeding, Olive Ridley turtles are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). “Turtles face numerous threats, including natural disasters and illegal poaching, which jeopardize their survival,” Andhekar avers.

The photographer has also conducted several photo exhibitions and awareness programmes in Odisha villages, about the extinction of the vital species.

In addition to his work with turtles, Andekar, who is also tribal photographer, is documenting the diverse tribal cultures across India. He notes that despite the large number of tribal communities, their cultures are at risk of extinction. Looking ahead, Andekar plans to explore wildlife photography further and hopes to travel to South Africa and other countries.