Berhampur: Forest officials have spotted the much-awaited mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles near Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
Over 11,000 turtles have laid eggs on the first day of the mass nesting in the 4-km-long stretch of the rookery on Sunday, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Berhampur, Sunny Khokkar.
The mass nesting will take place for a few more days, as several turtles are in the sea waiting for nesting, said forest officials, adding that the mass nesting will be followed by sporadic nesting in the area.
Mass nesting of the turtles in Gahirmatha, however, was yet to start this year so far, the officials said.
“We are expecting a record number of turtles to lay egg in this place this time,” said Rabindra Nath Sahu, secretary, Ganjam district sea turtle protection committee. Experts said this was the ideal time for the mass nesting of Olive Ridley in the Rushikuklya river mouth.
Meanwhile, the forest department has taken measures to protect the eggs and engaged local volunteers to provide a safe environment for mass nesting by the turtles. The entire four-km long stretch of the beach was fenced to restrict the entry of visitors to the nesting site, said a forest officer, adding that this would continue for the next 50 days till the hatchling takes place.
The forest officials also requested the nearby civic bodies and industrial houses to switch off the street lights during the mass nesting period to facilitate the turtles for smooth nesting.
The female turtles dug the pits in the beach and they lay eggs. The pit is covered with sand by the turtles before they disappear into the sea. A female turtle lays around 100 to 150 eggs. The mother turtle, however, does not wait to see the baby turtles emerge.
