Olive Ridley turtles return for nesting at Odisha’s Gahirmatha

Kendrapara: The Gahirmatha beach in Odisha’s Kendrapara district was bustling as the olive ridley turtles returned for annual mass nesting. Last year, 5.12 lakh turtles had come to Gahirmatha for nesting, between March 8 and 13. This time, the phenomenon was delayed by a month, likely due to a rough sea and a spell of unseasonal rains, said Divisional Forest Officer Sudrashan Gopinath Yadav.

“However, it is heartening to note that turtles have finally come to lay eggs at the tranquil beach in the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary,” he said.The natural phenomenon is expected to last for at least a week, he added. The topography of the beach, free from erosion, is conducive for the turtles to nest, Yadav said.