1.8 lakh Olive Ridleys arrive on Orissa beach for nesting

KENDRAPARA (Orissa): An estimated 1.8 lakh female Olive Ridley turtles have so far arrived en-masse to lay eggs, a unique natural phenomenon, at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Kendrapara district, officials said.

Since February 24 night the tranquil beaches on south eastern part of Nasi-2 island, close to Defence Research Development Organisation's installation at the Wheeler's Island, are teeming with turtles, Prasanna Kumar Behera, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) forest division, said.

"The Olive Ridleys are literally invading the beach and are digging 2-3 feet deep pits to lay eggs. They covered the pits with sand after laying the eggs and loitered in the area for an hour or two before disappearing into the waves," he said.

"With thousands of the turtles digging the pits at the same time, it created a soothing cacophony", a forest official present at the site, said.

Mass nesting of these turtle speci at Gahirmatha is an annual phenomenon known as 'arribada' in Spanish. Gahirmatha is said to be the world's biggest nesting ground for these turtles.