Turtles' mass nesting culminates at Gahirmatha, over 6 lakh turn up

Kendrapara: The annual mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles at Gahirmatha beach in Odisha's Kendrapara district has culminated with over six lakh turtles turning up to lay eggs at the idyllic nesting ground, officials said on Tuesday.

A total of 6,06, 933 turtles emerged from the seawaters to crawl and dig pits on the beaches to lay eggs, a phenomenon otherwise described as 'arribada' (a Spanish term) in a five-day span. The arribada that commenced on March 5, came to an end on March 9, said Manas Das, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.

Gahirmatha beach is regarded as the world's largest-known nesting ground of Olive Ridley turtles.

The perfect topography and profile of the beach, largely free from sea erosion, proved to be conducive for turtles to virtually invade the beach, he said.

After the mass nesting, female turtles undertook seaward journey unhindered and undisturbed as the nesting beach in the Island is unmanned and free from human interference, said the official.

The turtles turned up on the beach in the dead of the night to lay eggs. After indulging in instinctive egg-laying, the turtles left the nesting ground to stride into the deep seawater. Hatchlings emerge from the nests after 45-60 days. It is a rare natural phenomenon where the babies grow without their mother, added the official.

An Olive Ridley usually lays about 120 to 150 eggs from which hatchlings emerge after about 45 to 50 days. But not all eggs remain intact as predators devour it. Besides, eggs are also washed away by sea waves during high tide. The eggs are incubated in the nest and grow, sans mother, to emerge as hatchlings.

The major highlight of this year's mass nesting was the re-emergence of turtles at Eakakulanasi Island of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary after a gap of 33 years. Around three lakh turtles laid eggs at Island beach after playing truant for more than three decades.

The idyllic beach was hit by sea erosion, leading to the beach profile getting truncated. However, the beach is currently elongated as it has started accreting since 2020. This proved conducive for female turtles to turn up en masse to lay eggs. The marine species had appeared at the beach in 1992 when as many as three lakh turtles had laid eggs.