OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLE PROTECTION
- Location & Restrictions:
- Recently, Forest officials have restricted entry along a 5-km stretch from Gokharakuda to Bateshwar, near the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district, Odisha, to protect Olive Ridley turtle eggs.
- Reason for Restrictions:
- The restrictions were imposed after a record number of 6.98 lakh female Olive Ridley turtles laid eggs during the mass nesting period from February 16 to 23.
- Safety Measures:
- The area has been re-fenced and declared a ‘no-entry zone’ to ensure the safety of the eggs.
- Over 140 personnel (including local volunteers) have been deployed to protect the eggs.
- The entire stretch has been divided into 50 sectors, with personnel assigned to specific areas for continuous monitoring.
- Sea Patrolling:
- Patrolling has also been conducted in the sea to monitor and protect turtles that may still be in deep waters.
- Three boats have been used for this purpose, one of which has been provided by Gopalpur port authorities.
- Future Predictions:
- Experts expects a second phase of mass nesting to take place in the rookery later this year.
ABOUT OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES
- Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas
- Physical Features:
- Size: They can grow up to 120 cm in length & weight between 136-159 kg.
- Shell: They have Smooth carapace (upper shell) with color variations like black, grey, green, brown, and yellow. And their plastron (bottom shell) is yellowishwhite.
- Head: they have a Comparatively small head.
- Beak: They have modified “beaks” instead of teeth suited to their herbivorous diet.
- Vision: they have Good underwater vision, but nearsighted out of water.
- Hearing: Eardrums covered by skin, hearing best at low frequencies.
- Diet:
- Herbivorous: they mostly feed on seagrasses & algae.
- This gives their fat a greenish hue but not the shell. This unique diet differentiates them from other sea turtles.
- Lifespan: they are Estimated to live for 60-70 years.
- Distribution:
- They are Found in tropical and subtropical waters globally.
- They make Nest along the coastlines of over 80 countries.
- Largest nesting populations: Found in Costa Rica and Australia.
- Migration: Green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding grounds and nesting sites, with recorded migrations exceeding 2,600 km
- Conservation Status:
- Classified as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List due to threats like habitat loss, poaching, and climate change impacts.
OTHER TURTLE SPECIES
| Sea Turtle Species | Habitat | IUCN Status | Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act |
| Leatherback Turtle | They are Found in all oceans except the Arctic and the Antarctic | Vulnerable | Schedule I |
| Loggerhead Turtle | They Found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea | Vulnerable | Schedule I |
| Hawksbill Turtle | They are Found in tropical reefs of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans | Critically Endangered | Schedule I |
| Green Turtle | They are Found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters | Endangered | Schedule I |
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