Why over 6.82 lakh olive ridley turtles flock for mass nesting at Odisha’s Rushikulya river mouth

Record-Breaking Olive Ridley Nesting at Odisha’s Rushikulya River Mouth. (Image: X/@ParveenKaswan)

The shores of Odisha’s Ganjam district have once again become a haven for endangered olive ridley turtles. This year, over 6.82 lakh turtles have flocked to the Rushikulya River mouth for their annual mass nesting, breaking last year’s record.

A New Record in Mass Nesting
The mass nesting began on 16 February, with thousands of olive ridley turtles arriving daily. According to Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer Sunny Khokkar, more than 6.82 lakh turtles have already laid eggs. This surpasses 2023’s figure of 6.37 lakh turtles that nested over eight days.

In 2022, around 5.5 lakh turtles nested here. As the current nesting season is still ongoing, officials believe the final number may rise further.

A spectacle of nature is unfolding in Odisha. Around 3 lakh Olive Ridley turtles have arrived for their annual mass nesting, known as arribada. In a rare event, this years nesting is diurnal. These turtles play a crucial role in maintaining the marine ecosystem, and their return pic.twitter.com/vcOrsOfTmW
Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) February 19, 2025

Favourable Climate Behind the Surge
Experts believe that better climatic conditions this year have encouraged more turtles to visit the beach. Bivas Pandav, senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, said the stable weather played a major role in the record turnout.

Imagine and witness this natures extravaganza. Where lakhs of olive Ridley turtles are visiting for mass nesting on Indian coasts. Here one at Rushikulya River under close watch of forest department. VC @dfobhmpr pic.twitter.com/43lQ2WTAOz Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 22, 2025

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) scientist Basudev Tripathy added that timely nesting increases the chances of successful hatching. Another ZSI scientist, Anil Mohapatra, highlighted that over 330 GPS-tagged turtles, tracked between 2021 and 2023, returned this year, underlining the site’s importance.

Steps Taken for Egg Protection
The mass nesting spread across a 9-km stretch from New Podampeta to Prayagi. To protect the eggs from predators, the forest department installed fencing along the beach.

“We are taking all precautions to safeguard the eggs, which are expected to hatch in about 45 days,” said Dibya Shankar Behera, range officer at Khallikote.

This growing number of olive ridley turtles reaffirms the Rushikulya River mouth’s role as a vital nesting ground, offering hope for the future of this endangered species.