The mouth of the Rushikulya River in Odisha’s Ganjam district has become a significant nesting site for the endangered olive ridley turtles, with over 682,000 turtles reported to have nested this season, surpassing last year’s record of 637,008. The mass nesting, known as arribada, began on February 16 and is noted for occurring during the day this year. Experts attribute the increase in nesting to favorable climatic conditions, and predictions indicate a good number of hatchlings may emerge soon. Conservation efforts, including protective fencing, have been implemented to safeguard the nests from predators.
Berhampur:
The Rushikulya River mouth in Odisha’s Ganjam district has become a significant nesting site for the endangered olive ridley turtles, with more than 682,000 of these marine creatures gathering for mass nesting, officials reported on Sunday.
The nesting event for these turtles began on February 16.
A breathtaking natural phenomenon is taking place in Odisha. Approximately 300,000 Olive Ridley turtles have arrived for their annual mass nesting, referred to as arribada. Notably, this year’s nesting is occurring during the day. These turtles are vital for the health of the marine ecosystem, and their return… pic.twitter.com/vcOrsOfTmW
— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) February 19, 2025
“So far, over 682,000 olive ridley turtles have laid eggs along the beach, exceeding the previous record of 637,000 marine species recorded in 2023,” stated Sunny Khokkar, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Berhampur.
A total of 637,008 turtles laid their eggs during eight days of mass nesting from February 23 to March 2 in 2023, while 550,000 turtles nested in 2022, according to sources.
As the mass nesting of olive ridleys is still ongoing, the total number may rise, the DFO added.
Picture and experience this extraordinary spectacle of nature.
Where hundreds of thousands of olive ridley turtles are arriving for mass nesting along the Indian shores. Here at Rushikulya River, under the vigilant eye of the forest department. VC @dfobhmpr pic.twitter.com/43lQ2WTAOz
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 22, 2025
Experts attribute the unprecedented number of olive ridley turtles visiting the beach for nesting to favorable climatic conditions this year.
“Improved climatic conditions have enabled more turtles to lay eggs at the Rushikulya river mouth, which is becoming a key rookery for them,” commented Bivas Pandav, a senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun.
Basudev Tripathy, a senior scientist at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), predicts a strong emergence of hatchlings as the mass nesting aligns with the season at the rookery.
ZSI scientists have recaptured over 330 olive ridleys so far, which were GPS-tagged between 2021 and 2023, according to Anil Mohapatra, another senior scientist from the survey team.
Dibya Shankar Behera, the range officer in Khallikote, mentioned that the government has erected fencing in new areas where turtles have nested, stretching approximately 9 kilometers from New Podampeta to Prayagi.
This fencing is designed to safeguard the eggs from predators.
“We are taking all necessary measures to protect the eggs, which are expected to hatch in about 45 days,” he stated.
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