Olive Ridleys return for rare mass nesting

Olive Ridleys return for rare mass nesting

What has happened?

In a rare occurrence, Olive Ridley turtles turned up for mass nesting for the second time at the Rushikulya rookery on the Odisha coast in the early hours of Wednesday, where mass hatching of eggs of these endangered marine turtles is still continuing

Needs study

• Though sporadic nesting of a few Olive Ridley turtles was observed at the coast, a recurrence of mass nesting was never expected.
• As per past records, mass nesting had never occurred during the month of April on the Odisha coast
• The reason behind this late recurrence of mass nesting should be studied by wildlife experts

Earlier incidences of two phases of mass nesting

• In 2006, the Rushikulya rookery witnessed two phases of mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, but at short intervals
• A similar event occurred in 2009 when mass nesting took place in February as well as in March. But in both cases, the second phase of mass nesting occurred when eggs laid by the first group of turtles were incubating under the sand

But Different

Mass nesting had never occurred during mass hatching on this coast