The eagerly awaited mass nesting event of Olive Ridley sea turtles, known as ‘arribada’, has finally commenced in Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary after a delay of more than a month, attributed to adverse weather conditions such as untimely rain and rough seas. Gahirmatha is renowned as the world’s largest rookery of these turtles. Reportedly, approximately 8,000 Olive Ridley Sea turtles have made their way ashore for mass nesting at Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands within the sanctuary, as confirmed by Bhitarkanika National Park DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav. These islands, spanning a mere five kilometers, provide an ideal nesting habitat due to the absence of predators and human interference. To safeguard the turtles and their eggs, around 30 forest personnel are diligently patrolling the beach and surrounding waters.

Yadav further explained that the arribada phenomenon is expected to persist for approximately two weeks, during which time the turtle eggs will undergo an incubation period of 45 days before hatching. However, despite the substantial number of hatchlings that make their way into the sea, the survival rate to adulthood remains notably low, with only one out of every 1,000 hatchlings reaching maturity, as per official statistics. In the previous year, the Gahirmatha beach witnessed a significant turnout of Olive Ridley turtles, with a remarkable 5,12,175 individuals laying eggs between March 8 and March 13. This annual spectacle not only highlights the ecological significance of the region but also underscores the need for ongoing conservation efforts to ensure the continued survival of these endangered marine species.