1 crore Olive Ridley turtles hatch on Odisha coast

As many as 11.64 lakh turtles laid eggs on the state coast in this breeding season

Priya Ranjan Swain Published On : Apr 21, 2023 at 5:35 PM

Bhubaneswar: At least 1 crore baby Olive Ridley turtles hatched on Odisha coast in last few days, said sources in the Forest department.

It is expected that around 2 crore more baby turtles will hatch on Odisha coast before the culmination of this year’s breeding season, they added.

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Lakhs of Olive Ridley sea turtles usually congregate in the coastal sea of Odisha for breeding purposes every year. It is believed that around 50 per cent of the Olive Ridley turtles in the world visit Odisha coast to lay eggs.

The breeding season of Olive Ridley turtles begins in November every year and concludes in May. The turtles usually lay eggs on Odisha coast in between November and second week of March. The baby turtles hatch in the months of April and May, said an official of the Forest department.

At least 11.64 lakh Olive Ridleys laid eggs at Gahirmatha in Kendrapara district, Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district and Devi estuary area in Puri district of Odisha in this breeding season.

As many as 6.37 lakh sea turtles laid eggs through mass nesting in Rushikulya river mouth area this year while the number was 5.26 lakh at Gahirmatha, added the official.