Turtle hatchlings emerge from eggs at Gahirmatha

Kendrapada: Millions of Olive Ridley turtles started emerging from their nests Tuesday night at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, the world's largest rookery in Kendrapada district. The mass hatching took place across Nasi-1, Nasi-2, and Eakakulanasi islands within Bhitarkanika National Park, following a successful nesting season that saw 606,933 turtles laying eggs between March 5 to 10. "A female turtle typically lays 80 to 100 eggs," said Kapil Pradhan, forest range officer of Gahirmatha. The eggs incubate in the warm sand for 40 to 45 days before the two-inch hatchlings emerge under the cover of darkness.
To protect the vulnerable hatchlings, authorities have implemented several safety measures. "We've fenced the 6-km nesting beach to prevent the hatchlings from wandering towards land or nearby mangrove forests instead of the sea," Pradhan said. Forest guards and locals have been deployed to ward off predators such as dogs, jackals, and birds.
Also, defence personnel at the nearby Abdul Kalam Island missile testing range have masked bright lights that could disorient the hatchlings. Secretary of Gahirmatha Marine Turtles and Mangrove Conservation Society Hemant Rout said the undisturbed nests typically have a 90 per cent success rate while those affected by human or animal interference may drop to 25 per cent or lower. "The survival rate is extremely low — only one in a thousand hatchlings survives till adulthood. Those that survive will return to this very beach in about 20 years to mate and lay eggs, guided by Earth's magnetic field," Rout added.