Around 2.4 lakh olive turtles arrive in Gahirmatha, for mass nesting on a single day
Around 2.4 lakh olive turtles arrive in Gahirmatha, for mass nesting on a single day
admin
Kendrapada: More than 2.4 lakh OLive Ridley sea turtles have flocked to the district's Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary for mass nesting.
On March 25, a record number of 2,45,188 sea turtles landed at Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary within Bhitarkanika National Park, despite Wildlife officials' fears that the Olive Ridleys may skip their annual visit this year due to a 15-day delay in their arrival.
"We are overjoyed because more than 2 lakh turtles deposited eggs at Gahirmatha on a single day for the first time." From March 9 to March 23, roughly 3,49,694 turtles laid eggs, according to JD Pati, divisional forest officer of Bhitarkanika National Park, as reported by TNIE.
Because the eggs take 45 days to hatch, the mass nesting would last for a week. Pati explained that the little hatchlings would then make their way to the water. The turtles have also arrived to the Rushikulya and Devi river mouths for mass nesting, he added, in addition to the two islands, which are regarded excellent nesting strips.
About 30 forest officials, including forest guards, have been dispatched to watch the beach in order to protect turtles and their eggs from poachers and stray animals.
To preserve the turtles, the state authorities banned fishing inside the marine sanctuary from November 1 to May 31. The government proclaimed Gahirmatha a marine sanctuary in 1997, comprising 1435 square kilometres from Dhamra mouth to Hukitola island.
