Olive Ridley mass nesting likely on Odisha's beach within fortnight
Despite the erosion of Gahirmatha Beach in Odisha's Kendrapara district, wildlife officials are optimistic about the convergence of lakhs of Olive Ridley turtles on the nesting ground for mass nesting any time within a fortnight. Notwithstanding the eroded physical profile of the nesting beach at the Nasi-II Island, a large turnout of female turtles for laying eggs is expected.
Despite bifurcation, beach is in perfect shape for turtles
"The mass nesting is likely to take place by the second week of March," Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) Forest Division, Bikash Chandra Dash said on Monday. "The 2.6 kilometer-long nesting beach has got bifurcated due to inundation by seawaters, still, its shape is perfect for turtles to dig pits and lay eggs," he said.
All conditions are favorable for mass nesting
He informed that the edge of the beach facing the sea is not steep and turtles will find it favorable to emerge from the seawaters to crawl onto the beach. Strong southerly winds and temperatures ranging between 32 and 38 degree Celsius are conducive for mass nesting of turtles, he said, adding that a large congregation of turtles is waiting in the deep sea.
Only female turtles invade the nesting beaches
"Every year, the marauding sea is eating up portions of the geographical boundary of Gahirmatha Beach in uninhabited Nasi-II Island. Only female turtles invade the nesting beaches usually at the dead of the night for laying eggs. This phenomenon is called arribada," he said.
Gahirmatha is the world's largest nesting ground for these turtles
After laying eggs, the mother turtles return to the sea. The hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days. "It is a rare natural phenomenon where babies grow without their mothers," the official said. Olive Ridley turtles turn up in millions for mass nesting along the Odisha coast every year. Gahirmatha is acclaimed as the world's largest nesting ground of the reptiles.
Other places in Odisha where the turtles turn up
Apart from Gahirmatha, these threatened reptiles also lay eggs at Rushikulya River mouth in Ganjam district and Devi River mouth in Puri district. Around 7.30 lakh Olive Ridley turtles had laid eggs along the Odisha coast in 2019-20, with Gahirmatha hosting 4.5 lakh of them.
