In a record-breaking event, over 6.82 lakh endangered Olive Ridley turtles have arrived at the mouth of the Rushikulya River in Odisha’s Ganjam district for mass nesting, known as Arribada. This marks the highest-ever recorded number, surpassing previous records. With the nesting still ongoing, the number is expected to rise, according to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO).
The mass nesting of the turtles in the Rushikulya River mouth commenced on February 16. Favourable climatic conditions are one of the reasons for a record number of olive ridley turtles visiting the beach for mass nesting, experts said.
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) senior scientist Basudev Tripathy expects a high number of hatchlings as mass nesting occurred on time at the rookery. To protect the eggs from predators, fencing has been set up, and field foresters are monitoring the area.
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Dibya Shankar Behera, Range Officer of Khallikote, stated that fencing has been extended to new areas as turtles nested along a 9-km stretch from New Podampeta to Prayagi. Visitors captured pictures and videos of the remarkable event as thousands of Olive Ridley turtles moved ashore.
A forest official assured that strict measures are in place to safeguard the eggs, which are expected to hatch in about 45 days.
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