Olive ridley turtles at Rushikulya beach in Orissa. (File Photo| Biswanath Swain, EPS)
BERHAMPUR: Mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles started at Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district on Thursday. Counting of the turtles that reached the seashore spread over around 6 km is on, said Berhampur DFO Amlan Nayak. The turtles arrived on the beach during the day.
The turtles usually come to the rookery for nesting during the night. This year, the turtles arrived on time and nested at Podempeta beach, he added.
Rushikulya, situated in the Ganjam district along the Bay of Bengal, is one of the most prominent locations for Olive Ridley turtles’ mass nesting, after Gahirmatha. The Olive Ridley turtle is considered the most abundant in the world and listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. They are also protected under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
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Secretary of Samudrika Kaincha Surakhya Samiti Rabindra Sahu said the mass nesting of the turtles will continue till the first week of March.
