Argus News - Breaking News: Two Lakh Olive Ridley Turtles Nest at Rushikulya Coast in Odisha

Berhampur, Mar 17: The rare Olive Ridley turtles have begun their mass nesting at the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district, marking one of nature’s most spectacular events.

Within just three days, nearly two lakh turtles have laid eggs along the sandy coastline, a phenomenon that occurs annually but this year has arrived a month later than expected.

For the first time in five years, turtles have chosen the island stretch near Purunabandha to Prayagi for mass nesting. Using thermal drones, forest officials are counting the eggs to ensure accurate monitoring.

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Each turtle digs a pit about 1.5 feet deep in the sand and lays between 100 to 160 eggs, covering them carefully before returning to the sea. After 50-60 days, hatchlings emerge and instinctively crawl back to the ocean.

To safeguard this rare ecological event, the Forest Department has divided the nesting zone into 100 segments, deploying hundreds of staff members to protect the eggs from predators and human interference.

Local residents, fishermen, volunteers, and environmentalists are also assisting in conservation efforts. Officials believe that since nesting is happening on the island, egg destruction will be minimal, ensuring higher survival rates for hatchlings.

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has also joined the monitoring process. Since 2021, ZSI has tagged nearly 12,000 turtles to study their migratory patterns.

Early findings suggest that many turtles travel as far as Sri Lanka and other regions before returning to Odisha’s coast for nesting. Researchers are now examining how many tagged turtles have come back this season.

Forest officials confirmed that although nesting began later this year, similar delays were observed in 2006 and 2021. Despite the delay, they expect record numbers of turtles to arrive, making 2026 a landmark year for Olive Ridley conservation.

The Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer emphasized that the department is fully prepared to ensure safe nesting and hatching, with drones, patrols, and community participation playing key roles.

Compiled by: Satabhisa Jena