godavaya is home to five of the seven global marine turtle species: hawksbill, leatherback, green turtle, loggerhead and olive ridley turtle, which are all threatened. it has been proposed that the leatherback turtles of sri lanka and the nicobar islands form a separate, genetically distinct indian ocean subpopulation. godavaya beach is possibly the best leatherback turtle nesting beach in the island, with the largest nesting population.