Kendrapada: With over 3 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles already laying eggs at Gahirmatha in Odisha’s Kendrapada district, the Forest officials are looking forward to a new record this year.
According to Forest department sources, the Olive Ridleys started arriving at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary for sporadic nesting from January this year. A month after, thousands of the sea turtles were spotted mating in the sea while they were on their annual sojourn for mass nesting at Gahirmatha beach.
In first two days of mass nesting on March 9 and 10, total 3,02,058 Olive Ridleys have laid eggs on the sea beach of Gahirmatha. While 88,000 Olive Ridleys laid eggs on March 9, as many as 2,14,058 of them laid eggs next day, the official sources said.
The Forest department has taken adequate security measures for protection of Oive Ridleys and their eggs from predatory animals and poachers. “Forest personnel are on high alert to protect the turtles and their eggs from predators like dogs, jackals, wild boars, and birds,” said Gahirmatha Forest Range officer Manas Das.
The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has switched off bright lights at the integrated missile testing centre at the nearby Abdul Kalam island for the safe arrival of the turtles.
Notably, the government has banned fishing in Gahirmatha for seven months from November 1, 2022 to May 31 this year to save the endangered marine species.
As many as 5,01,157 Olive Ridley turtles had laid eggs at Gahirmatha in 2021-22, 3,49,649 in 2020-21 and 4,07,204 in 2019-20. The Forest officials expect that the number of Olive Ridleys may cross the last year’s figure.
