February 23rd 2025.
In the beautiful district of Ganjam in Odisha, lies the Rushikulya river mouth, a haven for the endangered olive ridley turtles. This year, officials have reported a staggering number of 6.82 lakh of these beautiful marine creatures gathering for mass nesting, making it a significant rookery for the species. The nesting process began on February 16 and has been a sight to behold ever since.
According to Sunny Khokkar, the divisional forest officer in Berhampur, this year's number has surpassed the previous record of 6.37 lakh turtles arriving in 2023. In comparison, 5.50 lakh turtles had laid eggs in 2022. The mass nesting is still ongoing, and experts believe that the number might increase even further. The favorable climatic conditions this year are one of the main reasons for more turtles visiting the beach for nesting, as stated by Bivas Pandav, a senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun.
The Rushikulya river mouth has proven to be a major attraction for the olive ridley turtles, with its ideal conditions for nesting. Basudev Tripathy, a senior scientist at the Zoological Survey of India, predicts a significant number of hatchlings to emerge as the nesting has taken place at the right time in this rookery. The ZSI scientists have also recaptured over 330 olive ridleys so far, which were previously tagged in the period of 2021-2023, according to Anil Mohapatra, another senior scientist at the surveyor.
The government has taken necessary steps to protect the nesting turtles and their eggs, as reported by Dibya Shankar Behera, the range officer at Khallikote. Fencing has been put up in new areas, covering a stretch of 9-km from New Podampeta to Prayagi, where the turtles have nested this year. The fencing aims to protect the eggs from predators, and the officials have taken utmost care to ensure their safety. It is estimated that the eggs will hatch in about 45 days, and we can only hope for a successful nesting season for these magnificent creatures.
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