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Officials await mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles

BERHAMPUR: Wild life experts and forest officials are waiting for the mass nesting of Olive ridley turtles on the Orissa coast which is already delayed.

As per the earlier data mass nesting of Olive ridleys starts on their preferred points on Orissa coast from second week of February. These endangered marine turtles nest in large numbers on the beach at Rushikulya rookery, Devi river rookery and Gahirmatha beach. But for some unknown reason they did not prefer to have mass nesting at any point on Orissa coast last year although there were sporadic nestings, which is continuing at all these coasts till now.

The Forest department officials, experts from the WWF and Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun, are eagerly awaiting the mass nesting of Olive ridley turtles at Rushikulya river mouth coast every night. All arrangements are completed to welcome these marine guests but the wait continues.

The 5-km stretch of beach near Rushikulya river mouth where these turtles nest has been cleared of debris, said A. K.Jena, divisional forest officer of Berhampur. The volunteers involved in turtle protection from Purunabandha and Gokharkuda villages are also ready.

As per the forest officials as well as the local marine fishermen, Olive ridleys can now be seen at a distance of around q km from the coast line near Rushikulya river mouth. It seems the Olive ridleys are waiting for some parameter of nature to become conducive. As per local marine fishermen and Rabindranath Sahu, an activist involved in turtle protection in the area usually these turtle come out to the beach to nest only after the wind starts to blow from the south. Every year it happens during second week of February. But it has not happened till date.

The marine fishermen also add that these turtles always prefer to come out to the beach for mass nesting during the fifth to tenth days between full moon and new moon day.

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