Kendrapada: In a surprising development that has puzzled forest officials and conservationists, endangered Olive Ridley turtles have skipped their annual mass nesting (arribada) at the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary this season, the first such absence in 12 years.
Despite thorough preparations on the sanctuary’s key islands—Nasi 1, Nasi 2, and Eakakulanasi, the turtles did not come ashore to lay eggs.
“Millions of Olive Ridley turtles arrive every year between January and March to lay their eggs along Gahirmatha beach. In past years, nesting began towards the end of March, but it was never delayed beyond that,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Mangrove Forest Division (Wildlife) Varadaraj Gaonkar told PTI.
The DFO added that turtles have already started mass nesting at the Rushikulya river mouth, another major rookery in Ganjam district.
According to Forest Range Officer of the sanctuary Kapilendra Pradhan, thousands of Olive Ridleys had gathered in the offshore waters of Gahirmatha, close to Bhitarkanika National Park, in February after completing their mating season, a typical precursor to nesting. However, most dispersed without approaching the beaches.
This marks the latest in a series of skipped arribadas at the site, which also occurred in 2014, 2008, 2002, 1998, 1997, 1988, and 1982. Last year, over 606,933 turtles nested at Gahirmatha between March 5 and 10.
Gahirmatha is recognised as one of the world’s largest mass nesting grounds for the species.
Environmentalist Hemant Rout, secretary of the Gahirmatha Marine Turtles and Mangrove Conservation Society, expressed concern that offshore congregations formed but did not translate into nesting on the beaches. “But we hope the turtles will come again to their favourite nesting site here next year,” he told TNIE. Rout pointed to a combination of factors that may have deterred the turtles, including coastal erosion, climate change, illegal fishing, untimely rains, and increased ocean noise from human activities.
