Rajnagar: The endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles started mating in Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary here in Kendrapara district Tuesday, according to forest officials.
The turtles swim thousands of miles in the sea to congregate at the golden beaches of Gahirmatha for their annual mating and nesting season. Gahirmatha is said to the world’s largest rookery of Olive Ridley turtles.
The scene of turtles mating draws nature lovers from various parts. After mating, the female turtles cross the blue waters to lay eggs on Babubali islands within the sanctuary limits, it was learnt. The island is located about 20 km off the coast.
The female turtles dig holes over four feet deep on the island to lay their eggs. They later, cover these holes with sand and start their homeward journey in the sea. The process continues for over seven months from November till the end of May during which lakhs of turtles could be seen mating and laying eggs on the island.
The site was discovered when eminent zoologist Dr HR Bustard of Australia visited the nearby Bhitarkanika National Park to conduct research on estuarine crocodiles.
While touring the adjoining areas of Bhitarkanika he noticed lakhs of sea turtles laying eggs on the Babubali Island in Gahirmatha. He brought the matter before the whole world following which Gahirmatha found a special mention in the world tourism map for this rare natural phenomenon.
However, what has surprised scientists and researchers is that they have not been able to detect the actual place of origin of these endangered turtles.
Eminent turtle researcher Dr Chandrasekhar Rao visited Gahirmatha in 2000 and tracked the movement and life of these turtles. He caught the sea turtles after they laid eggs and fixed a balloon, a copper plate and later installed satellite receivers on their backs to track their exact location. However, he failed to detect their exact place of origin which still remains a mystery for ecologists. PNN
