Olive Ridley turtle Mass nesting at Odisha, India : Feb/Mar

Olive ridley turtle is the smallest among all sea turtles. It is grayish green to olive in colour, has a length of 60 to 70 cm and weighs around 50 kg. Unlike other turtles, sea turtles cannot retract their legs and head into their shells. These turtles migrate over thousand kilometers from their feeding ground to the mating ground and the nesting sites. The turtles normally come to nest on beaches from January to March. In 2013, over 5 lakh turtles nested along the coast of Odisha (Nas 1 & Nas 2 islands of Gahirmatha beach) in one week.

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The female turtles dig nests and lay around 60 to 120 eggs at a time. The gestation period is has 45 to 50 days. If the eggs were left on the beach, they would face many threats such as getting washed away with the tide or getting poached. Only one in 1000 hatchlings survives to adulthood. The global population of females has been reduced to 8 lakh by 2013.

Olive Ridley turtles are classified as vulnerable by IUCN Red Data Book and also found place in Schedule - I of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 1991). Egg collection is illegal. Between 1993 and 2013, more than 150000 olive ridley turtles were reported dead in Odisha. The turtles either get caught and suffocate in the fishing nets or get killed by the motor blades of the trawler engines. The state government imposed a seven-month fishing ban early Nov 2013, within 20 km of the coast.

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Eggs incubated at temperatures of 31 to 32°C will produce only females; eggs incubated at 28°C or less will produce solely males; and incubation temperatures of 29 to 30°C will produce a mixed sex. Most of the hatchlings emerge by May and are dark gray in colour. Hatchlings usually weigh between 12 and 23.3 g.

Must See-less explored wildlife destination in India

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Olive Ridley sea turtle mass nestling beaches in Odisha are

1. Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary (Estd 1997) is one of world’s largest nesting sites.
2. Devi river mouth at Balikhanda reserve forest, near Konark
3. Rushikulkya river mouth near Chhatrapur - News 12 Feb 2014

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To reach Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary

From Bhadrak railway station, Chandbali is 55 km away. Dhamra fishing harbour is nearby. Bhitarkanika National park is world famous for its crocodile and the Mangrove forest.

Routes inside the sanctuary are Chandbali - Khola - Dangamal - Ekakula - Sea, Rajnagar - Gupti - Ekakula - Sea.

For entry permit and Accommodation booking (at Ekakula, Habalikhati and Gupti), contact : DFO, Mangrove Forest Division (Wildlife), Rajnagar, Kendrapara Dt. Ph : 06729 272460.

News dated 30 Jan 2014: Large number of turtles are now mating on the surface water of the sea. Thousands of endangered Ridley turtles have already congregated in the area and they may come ashore for mass nesting any time - DFO.

Other site for sighting Olive Ridley turtles are Nellore in Andhra Pradesh (130 km north of Chennai), Marina - Neelankarai 8 km beach stretch and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu.

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The deaths were caused by the use of a trawl net by fishermen - 26 Feb 2014 The Hindu.