Olive Ridleys started mass nesting on Rushikulya rookery near Berhampur city from March 14. These turtles have been nesting on the coastline for the past few days. On Sunday night over 5,000 Olive Ridleys came out of the sea to lay their eggs, hinting at the possibility that mass nesting of the turtles on the coast is likely to be more during this season.
The Olive Ridleys nested on a stretch of around 2.5 km near Rushikulya rookery, said AK Jena, the divisional Forest Officer of Berhampur who is monitoring the protection of these turtles during nesting. He said though the counting is not yet complete the number of turtles may cross 8,000.
Rushikulya is one of the most preferred nesting sites of Olive Ridleys. The turtles also nest at Devi river rookery and Gahirmatha Beach in Orissa and this year, the Olive Ridleys also laid eggs at Puri beach. Jena said the mass nesting is expected to continue for a few more days as a large number of turtles are still in the sea near the coast waiting to lay their eggs at night.
Forest Department officials and wildlife experts from the WWF and Wild Life Institute of India, Dehra Dun, are monitoring the mass nesting. The whole stretch of the beach meant for nesting has been divided into 33 segments of around 100 metres length. Data regarding arrival of Olive Ridleys and their reaching the coast to lay eggs is being recorded at all the segments.
Meanwhile, the fishermen of the area and tourists have been advised not enter the sea to help the mother turtles come onto the coast at night. Forest officials are keeping a vigil on tourists to maintain the tranquility of the beach which is a major criterion for mass nesting.
Jena said efforts were also being made to protect the eggs from dogs and foxes which usually dig up to eat the eggs. Forest officials apart, youths of nearby villages and Rushikulya sea turtle protection forum are engaged in protection of the turtle eggs.
Source: New Indian Express
Over one lakh endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have laid eggs on the beach adjoining the Rushikulya river mouth near Berhampur city in Orissa since March 13 as scientists observed the phenomenon with interest. The eggs are expected to hatch in the first week of May, about 45 days after the mass nesting.
While 6,000 turtles emerged from the sea to lay eggs in the wee hours of March 13, around 65,000 swarmed the four-km long sandy beach between Gokharakuda and Kantiagada the next day. The number of nesting turtles came down thereafter.
