Bhubaneswar: The mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles, an annual phenomenon called ‘arribada’, began in Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary on the night of April 2, after a delay of over a month due to untimely rain and rough sea.
It is the world’s largest rookery of the turtles.
“Around 8,000 Olive Ridley Sea turtles came ashore for mass nesting at Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary,” said Bhitarkanika National Park DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav.
The two tiny islands, Nasi-1 and Nasi-2, extending only five km are perfect for turtle nesting as there are no predators and no human habitation. Around 30 forest personnel are guarding the beach and the sea to protect the turtles and the eggs. There is also a ban on fishing till March 31.
The splendid phenomenon of mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles at Gahirmatha has begun.
Lakhs of them will be visiting our beach to lay eggs in next couple of days. Department is fully geared up to ensure safety of our annual visitors🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/dVi8HvCXN8— Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) April 3, 2024
“The arribada would continue for around two weeks. The turtle eggs take 45 days to hatch,” he added.
Out of every 1,000 hatchlings that enter the sea, only one manages to reach adulthood, according to official data.
Last year, 5,12,175 Olive Ridleys laid eggs at the beach between March 8 and March 13.
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