KENDRAPADA: Thousands of nests of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles were washed away by the high tides at the Gahiramatha marine sanctuary resulting in the death of many hatchlings before birth.
A record numbers of 6.46 lakh turtles laid eggs at the Nasi-I and Nasi-II islands from March 8 to March 13. Last week, around 30 lakh turtle hatchlings emerged from the pits and started their journey towards the sea.
"We were expecting the birth of around four crores hatchlings this month. But the tides have damaged the nests. More hatchlings were expected to emerge from the pits within 45 days of laying of eggs. Now the beach is littered with eggs shells and carcasses of unborn hatchlings," Subrat Patra, the forest range officer of Gahiramatha marine sanctuary.
If beach erosion was not enough, sand dunes have been carved on the beach due to the water ingress. "This will hamper the movement of mother turles encouraging them to lay eggs on lower part of the beach where they are at a greater risk of exposure and accidental interference," added Patra.
Two months ago, more than half a million turtles laid eggs at Gahiramatha by breaking a 17-year-long record. "Now the hatchlings are not likely to hatch as high tides have submerged the nests," said Hemant Rout a noted environmentalist and president of Marine Turtles and Mangrove Conservation Society (MTMCS), Kendrapada.
The mortality rate of turtle hatchlings in sea water is high and out of 1,000 only one turtle survives to become an adult.