Kendrapada: Sporadic nesting of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles has started at Gahirmatha beach, the world’s largest rookery, with around 40 turtles laying eggs over the past three days at Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands within the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, said forest range officer Kapilendra Pradhan on Tuesday.Forest officials are on high alert as more turtles are expected to arrive for nesting. To protect eggs from predators such as dogs, jackals, wild boars and birds, the department has set up hatcheries at Aagarnasi, Pentha, Madali and Babubali beaches. Forest guards are collecting eggs from natural pits and transferring those to the hatcheries, all of which are secured with plastic nets to prevent entry of predators, Pradhan said.
He said sporadic nesting indicates that the mass nesting (arribada) may begin earlier this year, likely within two to three weeks. Last season, about 6,06,933 turtles nested at Gahirmatha between March 5 and March 10, 2025, he said.To protect the species, the govt has enforced a seven-month ban on all fishing activities from Nov 1 to May 31. Since Nov 1, officials have arrested 337 marine fishermen and seized 37 fishing vessels, including boats from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, for illegal fishing inside the sanctuary. The department also seized 307.25 quintals of fish, valued at around Rs 39 lakh, from the intercepted vessels, Pradhan said.He said the Olive Ridley nesting phenomenon remains one of nature’s most remarkable spectacles and the primary reason the Centre declaring Gahirmatha a marine sanctuary in 1997.In a supporting measure, the DRDO recently switched off bright lights at the Integrated Missile Testing Centre on Abdul Kalam Island, as artificial illumination near the coast can disorient nesting females and hatchlings.The forest department has also demarcated the sanctuary boundary by installing 14 floating buoys across the marine area — spread over 1,435 sq km, extending 20 km from the coastline between Hukitola and Dhamra, Pradhan added.
