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Hrishikulya, Orissa | February 20, 2006 1:07:35 PM IST
Environmentalists and tourists from across the world are thronging Orissas Hrishikulya beach to see hundreds endangered Olive Ridley turtles begin their nesting season. Every year as winter rolls around, the endangered species move in large synchronised concentrations to three major nesting sites along the Orissa coast by the Bay of Bengal, considered one of the worlds major nesting grounds. After the young ones are hatched, the turtles return to the sea.
The Olive Ridley turtle, which can grow up to 75 cm (2.5 feet) in length, is found in tropical regions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Hrishikulya beach is one of worlds major nesting grounds for the benign creatures. With each turtle laying an estimated 120 eggs, large stretches of the states Hrishikulya coastline are now packed with them.
Authorities say they had been on vigil since November and had taken the required steps to protect the breeding area.
Right from November we have been doing patrolling in the congregation area in sea and we have prevented all kinds of fishing, said Suresh Mohanty, Chief Wildlife Warden of Orissa.
Mohanty added that this year around one million turtles are expected to nest in the area.
Wildlife officials say over 250,000 turtles make their annual trek to the nesting sites.
In 2004 over one million turtles came to the Orissa shores to digs and pits and lay eggs, the largest concentration being at Gohirmatha beach.
Such large concentrations only occur at a few sites in the world.
In the year 2000, only 700,000 turtles arrived but in 1997 and 1998, the turtles skipped the annual ritual and there was no mass nesting at all.
Experts say turtles are particularly vulnerable because of high mortality rates. According to studies, only one out of every 1,000 hatchlings normally reaches adulthood.
The reptiles are mangled by fishing trawler propellers, or suffocated in fishermens gill nets. They are also killed by pollution, and by poachers, who hunt them for their meat.
The Orissa state government has declared the whole nesting area a marine sanctuary and has banned mechanised trawlers in the state.
Besides it is also urging local fishermen to include Turtle Excluding Devices (TED) in their fishing equipment. (ANI)
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