KENDRAPARA: Much to the delight of turtle lovers and researchers, the long-awaited mass nesting of Olive Ridleys started on the beach of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary here on Tuesday night. This year, the arribada has been delayed by nearly a month due to untimely rain and rough sea.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Bhitarkanika National Park Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav said around 8,000 Olive Ridley turtles came ashore for mass nesting at Nasi 1 and 2 islands of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.
The two small islands stretching over only five km are suitable for nesting of the turtles as there are no predators and human settlements there. The arribada would continue for around two weeks. The eggs usually take 45 days to hatch, informed Yadav.
Around 30 forest personnel are guarding the beach and sea to protect the turtles and the eggs. Besides, the state government has imposed a ban on fishing inside Gahirmatha sanctuary from November 1 to May 31. Last year, at least 5,12,175 Olive Ridleys laid eggs at Gahirmatha beach from March 8 to 13.