2 Crore Olive Ridley Hatchlings Crawl To Sea At Gahirmatha In Odisha

Kendrapara: The annual sojourn of Olive Ridley turtles to Gahirmatha rookery culminated with over two crore hatchlings crawling their way to sea over a period of one month.

According to an estimate, around 4.70 lakh female turtles had laid eggs at the Gahirmath beach in Kendrapara district, considered as the world’s biggest nesting ground for the endangered marine species. The hatchlings emerged out of the eggs after incubation period of 45 to 50 days in the first fortnight of May.

“According to an estimate by officials, nearly two crore turtles have emerged and found their way to the Bay of Bengal. As there was barely any disturbance, the number of hatchlings this year was considerably higher,” said Bikash Ranjan Dash, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, according to a report of Sambad English.

“No wildlife researcher made it to Gahirmatha this year to witness the rare natural phenomenon due to the restrictions in the area,” the DFO said.