6.06L Olive Ridleys lay eggs in Gahirmatha, Bhitarkanika island | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar/Kendrapada: Around 6.06 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles laid eggs at the world’s largest rookery at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Kendrapada district this time, nearly double that of last year, officials said.
On Tuesday, the forest department reported the first batch of hatchlings were moving towards the sea. It will take time for the wildlife wing to analyse how many hatchlings survived. Wildlife officials said after completing their 14-day long mass nesting on Nasi-1, Nasi-2 and also at Eakakulanasi islands within Bhitarkanika National Park, 6,06,933 turtles laid eggs between March 5 and 10, contrary to the likelihood that mass nesting would take more time this year. Last year, 3.49 lakh turtles laid eggs in Gahirmatha.
“It has been seen in the past decade that on average 4.5 lakh turtles lay eggs. This year, because of Ekakulanasi island, turtles got more sprawling and inviolate space to lay eggs. This year’s figure is almost similar to 2018,” said Prem Kumar Jha, chief wildlife warden.
Many eggs were destroyed, but it is not unusual. “After the baby turtles move towards the sea, they will not come for nesting until two decades or until they attain adulthood or become sexually compatible. Eggs this time were destroyed because the same pits were used by turtles dug by others,” an officer said.
Officials said protection measures undertaken by the forest officials and other govt and non-govt agencies helped the arrival of turtles in large numbers this year. “Due to the accretion of the 4-km-long Eakakulanasi island, which has increased to around 56 hectares, more turtles came for nesting,” said divisional forest officer (Bhitarkanika), Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav.
He further said they deployed forest guards to prevent the entry of any predators at the nesting sites. “More hatchlings will keep emerging from the eggs after 45 days and find their way to the sea,” he added.
Each winter, Olive Ridley turtles start their long journey to Gahirmatha to lay eggs. The turtles repeat the journey every year, always returning to the same beach to lay their eggs and reproduce where they were born.
Because of the visit of Ridleys, Gahirmatha got the status of a marine sanctuary in 1997. State govt has imposed a ban on fishing activities inside the sanctuary from Nov 1 to May 31 to protect turtles.
On Tuesday, the forest department reported the first batch of hatchlings were moving towards the sea. It will take time for the wildlife wing to analyse how many hatchlings survived. Wildlife officials said after completing their 14-day long mass nesting on Nasi-1, Nasi-2 and also at Eakakulanasi islands within Bhitarkanika National Park, 6,06,933 turtles laid eggs between March 5 and 10, contrary to the likelihood that mass nesting would take more time this year. Last year, 3.49 lakh turtles laid eggs in Gahirmatha.
“It has been seen in the past decade that on average 4.5 lakh turtles lay eggs. This year, because of Ekakulanasi island, turtles got more sprawling and inviolate space to lay eggs. This year’s figure is almost similar to 2018,” said Prem Kumar Jha, chief wildlife warden.
Many eggs were destroyed, but it is not unusual. “After the baby turtles move towards the sea, they will not come for nesting until two decades or until they attain adulthood or become sexually compatible. Eggs this time were destroyed because the same pits were used by turtles dug by others,” an officer said.
Officials said protection measures undertaken by the forest officials and other govt and non-govt agencies helped the arrival of turtles in large numbers this year. “Due to the accretion of the 4-km-long Eakakulanasi island, which has increased to around 56 hectares, more turtles came for nesting,” said divisional forest officer (Bhitarkanika), Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav.
He further said they deployed forest guards to prevent the entry of any predators at the nesting sites. “More hatchlings will keep emerging from the eggs after 45 days and find their way to the sea,” he added.
Each winter, Olive Ridley turtles start their long journey to Gahirmatha to lay eggs. The turtles repeat the journey every year, always returning to the same beach to lay their eggs and reproduce where they were born.
Because of the visit of Ridleys, Gahirmatha got the status of a marine sanctuary in 1997. State govt has imposed a ban on fishing activities inside the sanctuary from Nov 1 to May 31 to protect turtles.
