Two-phase Turtle congregation in 2010

2010 has been a year of pleasant surprises for turtle lovers as the vulnerable Olive Ridley’s visited the beaches of Gahirmatha en-masse for their annual nesting, in two consecutive phases. While over 1.87 lakh turtles had sought their favourite nesting habitat in early March, they returned quite unpredictably for a second time and congregated at the south-eastern part of Nasi-2 Island. The second phase commenced on the night of March 20th according to reports issued by forest officials and saw the arrival of another 1.7 lakh turtles.

Divisional Forest Officer of the Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) Division P.K. Behera said, ''Never before have the Olive Ridley turtles reappeared in Gahirmatha in such large numbers for a second phase of mass nesting''. He added that this phenomenon is an important development in the conservation of this marine species since repeat congregation is not the natural routine for Olive Ridley Turtles. The turtles generally arrive and group together in the shallow coastal waters in October and lay eggs between December and March.

The tranquil beaches of Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary came alive as the ‘arribada’ spread over a stretch of almost one and a half kilometers. A forest official present at the site observed that a “soothing cacophony” filled the place as thousands of turtles started digging pits at the same time. The decades highest nesting figures (3.5 lakh) were recorded in 2010, waiving away all concerns about the impact of the upcoming Dhamra port on the nesting habitat of the Olive Ridley turtles.

Incidentally, this year’s congregation was witnessed at a time when construction activities for the port were going on in full swing.

Thousands of Olive Ridley Turtles journey to Gahirmatha in 2009

Olive Ridley Turtles, the smallest of the marine turtle species in the world are vulnerable and disappearing fast from the face of the earth. However, unlike last year, when the turtles were conspicuously absent, year 2009 saw thousands of Olive Ridley Turtles making their annual journey to the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Orissa as females sought the warm eastern sands as their place of choice for laying eggs.

As confirmed by Mr. Siddhanta Das, conservator of forests, Bhubaneswar circle, “the mass nesting at Gahirmatha started on March 21 and continued till March 24. In these four days, around 1.7 lakh turtles had nested at the site”. Dredging activities in the nearby port, away from the nesting area has not affected the migration of these rare species in any ways.

It has been reported by forest officials, that the turtles scanned the serene Gahirmatha beach for quite a while before settling down to lay eggs here. Forest officials deployed in the area have ensured that the female species, which lay about 120 to 150 eggs each, are left undisturbed. The beach is protected and kept under strong vigil till the eggs hatch after 45 to 50 days and the small turtles commence on their seaward journey.

The turtles usually scan the place before settling down to lay eggs.