Record 6.37 lakh Olive Ridley turtles lay eggs in Rushikulya rookery

Berhampur: record number of 6,37,008 Olive Ridley sea turtles have laid eggs in Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district this year. The mass nesting of these endangered sea turtles began on February 23 and lasted for eight days till March 2, said Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer Sunny Khokkar. The eggs are expected to hatch about 45 days after the mass nesting. Last year, 5,50,317 turtles laid eggs on a 3-km long beach from Podempeta to Bateshwar area near the river mouth.

Adequate number of personnel, including locals, have been engaged to keep a watch on the eggs from the predators. As the female turtles go back to the sea after laying eggs, predators such as jackals, wild dogs, wild boars and birds will be on the prowl to eat the eggs. As a measure to protect the eggs from the predators, the authorities have set up fencing around the area. Before the emergence of the hatchlings, the forest officials cover the entire area with mosquito nets to protect them from birds, the DFO said.

The official figure of mass nesting is 2.01 lakh in 2004; 89,311 in 2005; 1.98 lakh in 2006; 1.80 lakh in 2008; 2.61 lakh in 2009; 1.56 lakh in 2010; 2.53 lakh in 2011; 1.01 lakh in 2012; 2.88 lakh in 2013; 59,000 in 2014; 3.09 lakh in 2015; 3.70 lakh in 2017; 4.82 lakh in 2018; 3.23 lakh in 2020 and 5.50 lakh in 2022. They skipped the beach in 2002, 2007 (74), 2016 (1,712), 2019 (2,341) and 2021 (4,388) when the turtles had not shown up at Rushikulya for mass nesting.

Rushikulya is the second largest rookery for Olive Ridley turtles in India after Gahirmatha. The turtles dig up sand with their flappers up to one and half feet deep to lay their eggs. They cover it up with sand again with their flaps and return to sea. Each adult female lays approximately 100-120 eggs at a time although up to a maximum of 180 eggs.