The Rajnagar Forest Department has made history. Olive Ridley turtles have laid the highest number of eggs in a single day. Around 2,45,188 Olive Ridley sea turtles came ashore for mass nesting at the Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary within Bhitarkanika National Park on March 25 night. “We are delighted that more than 2 lakh turtles laid eggs at Gahirmatha for the first time on a single day. Last time, around 3,49,694 turtles laid eggs from March 9 to March 23,” divisional forest officer of Bhitarkanika National Park, Kendrapada district JD Pati said.
Nasi-1 and 2 islands of 5 km is an ideal nesting strip for the turtles because of no presence of predators and human habitation. The mass nesting would continue for a week, as the eggs normally take 45 days to hatch. Then the tiny hatchlings make their way to the sea, the forest officer explained. The forest officer informed that about 30 forest officials including forest guards are guarding the beach to protect turtles and their eggs. The state government imposed a ban order on fishing activities inside the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary from Nov 1 to May 31 to protect the turtles. Gahirmatha was declared a marine sanctuary covering 1,435 square kilometers from Dhamra mouth to Hukitola island by the government in 1997.
Massive spawning of the rare species of Olive Ridley turtles has begun at the mouth of the Rishikulia in Ganjam district. Olive Ridley turtles from Sri Lanka come to the three coasts of Odisha every year for spawning. From November to the end of January, the turtles mate at the bottom of the Rishikulia River. Then, from the beginning to the end of March, the turtles come and lay their eggs in the mouth of the Rishikulia. The spawning of the Olive Ridley tortoise began yesterday. On the first day, 40,533 turtles laid their eggs yesterday. Today, on the second day, 1,14,305 turtles spawned. The Department of Forests has a special focus on how to safely spawn. The ACF A Madhabilata said the turtle’s mass spawning site was divided into 50 segments and that necessary steps had been taken to ensure the safe spawning of the required staff and forest officials.
The turtles lay more eggs in the Rishikulia estuary in Ganjam district than in the Devi estuary in Puri district and the Gahirmatha estuary in Kendrapara district.
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