Over 8mn Olive Ridley hatchlings emerge at Gahirmatha sanctuary

Kendrapara/Rajnagar: Over 8 million endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle hatchlings have emerged from their eggs at the mass nesting sites of Nasi-2 in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, marking the culmination of the annual nesting season of the marine species. Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Rajnagar Mangrove and Wildlife Division, stated that while 5.1 million hatchlings emerged Wednesday, the remaining came out Thursday at the tranquil sandy nesting ground of Nasi-2, located near Wheeler’s Island under the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.

As many as 6,06,399 Olive Ridley sea turtles arrived for mass nesting on the beaches within the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary—the world’s largest rookery for this species—from March 5 to March 10. Of these, 3,11,000 turtles nested at Nasi-2 beach, while 2,95,000 laid eggs at Ekakula Nasi beach. The DFO said the emergence of hatchlings is expected to continue for a few more days. After breaking out of their eggshells, the hatchlings wandered on the sandy beach for nearly an hour before making their way to the swirling seawater. It is expected that more baby Olive Ridley turtles will hatch at Ekakula Nasi Friday, Yadav added.

Once hatched, the turtles dig their way to the surface and scurry toward the ocean. Some experts believe that imprinting on the Earth’s magnetic field occurs during this journey, guiding them back to the same breeding grounds as adults. If the hatchlings successfully reach the ocean, they will spend several years drifting in ocean currents, often associated with sargassum rafts and floating debris, which provide them with food and shelter. This phenomenon is one of nature’s rare events, where babies grow without any maternal care. The mortality rate for this endangered species is alarmingly high—only one in every 1,000 eggs laid results in a hatchling that survives to adulthood, the DFO noted. As bright lights can disorient turtle hatchlings heading toward the sea, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Wheeler’s Island has masked its bright lights to ensure a safe and congenial path for the baby turtles as they crawl into the sea water, Yadav said.

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