Rahul Somvanshi
Odisha’s coastline is buzzing with activity as nearly 6.82 lakh Olive Ridley turtles have arrived for their annual mass nesting event. The beaches between Podampeta and Bateshwar have transformed into prime real estate for these marine visitors, who began their nesting on February 16, 2025.
Breaking Records on the Beach
The current turnout is set to shatter previous records, surpassing the 6.37 lakh turtles recorded in the 2022-23 season. Prem Kumar Jha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) in Odisha, confirms that “around 6.41 lakh turtles have laid eggs on the Rushikulya sea beach between Podampeta to Bateshwar till Friday night.”
Berhampur divisional forest officer Sunny Khokkar reports that as of February 23, the count has reached 6.82 lakh, making this year’s arribada (Spanish for ‘arrival by sea’) a historic event.
Weather Works Wonders
Experts point to perfect weather conditions as the key driver behind this massive turnout.
“Better climatic conditions have supported more turtles laying eggs this year,” explains Bivas Pandav, senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun. The warm sand on Odisha’s beaches provides just the right temperature for egg incubation.
Basudev Tripathy from the Zoological Survey of India predicts “a strong hatchling turnout due to the timely nesting,” with eggs expected to hatch after 45-50 days.
Protection Measures in Full Swing
To safeguard these vulnerable visitors, authorities have installed protective fencing along a 9-kilometer stretch from New Podampeta to Prayagi. Dibya Shankar Behera, range officer at Khallikote, explains that this fencing helps keep predators away from the nests.
The Indian Coast Guard has intensified “Operation Olivia,” a conservation initiative protecting these turtles since 1991. Their efforts include:
- Deploying 29 ships for 138 days
- Using aircraft for about 65 hours of surveillance
- Inspecting approximately 150 fishing boats for compliance
A fishing ban extends 20 kilometers from the coast, enforced from November 1 to May 31. Nearby industrial facilities have also been asked to dim their lights to prevent disorienting the turtles.
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Science Tracks the Travelers
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India continue to monitor these ancient mariners closely. Senior scientist Anil Mohapatra notes that researchers have been tracking turtles with GPS tags from 2021 to 2023, studying their migration patterns.
A Notable Return
This year’s mass nesting carries extra significance as the turtles skipped their visit last year. Forest department data shows Olive Ridleys have skipped mass nesting at Rushikulya in 2015-16, 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2023-24 over the past decade.
“What we know for sure is once they do mass nesting on a beach, they skip it for a couple of years. There are several environmental reasons such as unseasonal rain, absence of southern winds and El Niño. But it’s difficult to say why the turtles skip mass nesting a particular year,” explains Bibhash Pandav, turtle researcher at Wildlife Institute of India.
The Nesting Process
Female Olive Ridleys dig flask-shaped nests about a foot and a half deep using their hind flippers. Each turtle lays between 50-100 eggs during a season. After laying, they return to the sea while the eggs incubate for 45-55 days before hatching.
Conservationists note the steep odds facing these hatchlings—only one in 1,000 survives to adulthood. The rest fall prey to predators including jackals, birds, hyenas, fiddler crabs, and stray dogs.
Rabindranath Sahu, Secretary of the Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Group, emphasizes the importance of “continued protection to ensure the survival of these ancient mariners.”
A Daytime Spectacle
Unlike typical nighttime arribadas, this year’s event features daytime nesting, creating rare viewing opportunities. Indian Forest Services officer Parveen Kaswan shared footage of the event, calling it “nature’s extravaganza”—a video that has attracted over 40,000 views online.
For those tracking marine conservation efforts, this year’s record turnout offers a positive sign amid ongoing concerns about the status of these vulnerable creatures.
