Mass Nesting of Olive Ridley Turtles Begins In Odisha Coast

13 March , Bhubaneswar (odibizinfo)

The endangered Olive Ridely Sea Turtles have started reaching the Odisha Coast this yuea on their annual sojourn for mass nesting.

The mass nesting of Olive Ridley started near river Rushikulya mouth along the coast in Ganjam district of Odisha Thursday .

On the first day, over 10,000 female turtles have turned up to lay eggs in the over 3-km-long sandy beach from Gokharakuda to Podampeta.

The mass nesting of the Olive Ridley was followed by the sporadic nesting in the rookery, considered as the second largest after Gahiramatha.

Besides the river Rushikulya mouth and Gahiramatha, the Devi river mouth in Odisha coast is also the famous mass nesting sites for the Olive Ridley.

Around 175 persons, including forest personnel, wildlife activists and nearby villagers were engaged for round the clock protection of the Olive ridley and the eggs.

The protection will continue for next 50 days till the hatching takes place. Around 100-150 eggs are laid by each female turtle.

The mother turtles, however, do not wait to see the baby turtles emerge hatching about 45 to 50 days of the nesting. Several scholars and experts from different institutes across the country have thronged the site to witness the unique phenomenon.