Turtle Walker chronicles the extraordinary life of Satish Bhaskar, a man who spent decades walking over 4,000 kms of the Indian subcontinent to map out sea turtle habitats and nesting beaches. Bhaskar is considered among the pioneers of sea turtle conservation in India, with his groundbreaking work is still being used by researchers. Directed by Taira Malaney and produced by Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, and James Reed (My Octopus Teacher) among others, the film tells a story like no other. Bhaskar’s journey began in 1977, when he lived in isolation on the uninhabited coasts of Lakshadweep. He used to write letters in a bottle to his wife, Brenda, and throw them into the sea in the hopes of them reaching her. Despite this isolation, he knew he had found his purpose. Over his 19-year journey, he observed and wrote meticulous reports on every species of turtle that he saw. The documentary uses immersive cinematography to bring us face-to-face with these animals, particularly the giant Leatherback. The film also depicts Bhaskar’s wonder of the “arribada”, which is the phenomenon in which thousands of Olive Ridley turtles gather at the same beach they were born to lay eggs. This mass nesting phenomenon is a rare wonder that is captivating to watch even on screen. During his long and arduous journey of surveying the Indian coastline, Bhaskar had his first experience of trigeminal neuralgia – nerve imbalance causing him immense pain on one side of his face. He knew he could not sustain this life for much longer. His 19-year long surveying came to an end, with data that would sustain decades of research after him.The 2004 tsunami at Andaman and Nicobar Islands changed everything. For Bhaskar, it meant all the data that he had collected had been wiped out. He returned to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, despite his illness and age, to survey the state of sea turtles after the tsunami. But he arrived at islands uninhabited by turtles, as if they had never been there. Returning in disappointment, Bhaskar swore he would never come back to any of these islands. A few years later, he met Adith Swaminathan who reported from his work on a team focusing on the post-tsunami nesting recovery of turtles in the Andamans. Using Bhaskar’s foundational work on the main nesting beaches, the team showed how turtles were slowly but surely coming back to these beaches. These resilient reptiles that have existed since the prehistoric era were once again showing signs of growth after the dip in their numbers due to the disastrous effects of the tsunami. Touchingly, the film captures Bhaskar’s heartfelt delight at the resurgence of the turtle population that he had spent years observing.Bhaskar passed away in March 2023. The documentary portrays Bhaskar’s life and legacy and is a worthwhile tribute to the ‘Turtle Walker’ himself, complete with a balance of beautiful cinematography and recreations of Bhaskar’s experiences in the islands. Today, Bhaskar’s work is carried forward by scientists such as Dr. Kartik Shanker and Adith Swaminathan with organisations like Dakshin Foundation and Andaman Nicobar Environment Team. His foundational work continues to form the bedrock of any future projects involving sea turtles in India.