Kendrapara: The mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles which started at Gahirmatha Beach in Kendrapara district last month has come to an end.
Nearly 4, 60,000 turtles had arrived at the Nasi-I and Nasi-II zone for ‘Arribada’, a Spanish term for mass nesting of the turtles.
The endangered turtles, which had already congregated in the sea near Gahirmatha, had come ashore for nesting in groups of 5,000 to 10,000 each.
The eggs of the Olive Ridley turtles normally take 45 days to hatch. After this, tiny hatchlings come out and make their way to the sea.
The Indian Coast Guard and the Odisha forest department have established 15 camps to guard the turtles and prevent the entry of fishing vessels in the area. The state government has imposed a ban on fishing activities inside and around Gahirmatha from November 1 to May 31 to protect turtles.
At present, around 50 forest guards and other forest officials are now guarding the nesting beach and the sea to protect the turtles and their eggs.
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Kalinga AI