In view the movement of turtles towards the coast and favourable beach and climactic condition at the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, the forest personnel expect the beginning of massing nesting of the Olive Ridleys from the first week of February.
Rajnagar Mangrove and Wildlife Division DFO Kedar Kumar Swain said male and female turtles were now migrating from their feeding ground to the breeding ground in offshore waters. “The female turtles tend to move towards the beaches in large synchronised concentrations and later lay eggs. Generally, mating completes by mid January. This year, however, the number of mating pairs has reduced. It has been sighted that the male turtles have returned to the mid sea after mating whereas the female turtles have started their journey towards the sea coast. So there is every possibility that mass nesting of the marine endangered turtle is expected to occur in first week of February,” stated Swain.
After cyclonic storm Phailin and the return of south west monsoon, the beach and climactic condition has become favourable for the turtles to lay eggs, informed DFO Swain.
According to Swain, the females lay 120-150 eggs at a go. They arrive at the coast at the dead of night and lay their eggs at midnight in 45 centimetres pits, which they dig with their rear flippers. After laying the eggs in the pits, the female turtles cover the nests with sand and return to the sea in a zig-zag manner to confuse predators about the location of the nests. Hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days and find their way to the sea creating a cacophony. The endangered species’ mortality rate is so high that one egg out of every 1,000 eggs laid ultimately hatches and the hatchlings survives to become an adult.
The Bhitarkanika forest officials have imposed a ban order on fishing activities inside the Gahirmatha, around 20 km off the shore from November 1 last to May 31 to ensure that the turtles remain safe and their nesting takes place hassle-free.