Rajnagar: The movements and lifestyle of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle still remain shrouded in mystery, despite extensive conservation efforts being undertaken owing to their significant role in maintaining ecological balance.
To study their migration patterns and shed light on their secret underwater lives, scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have deployed satellite tags on two Olive Ridley turtles at Nasi in Gahirmatha beach here in the Kendrapara district.
Every year, lakhs of these turtles gather at Gahirmatha for mass nesting, but researchers still do not fully understand where they come from, why they choose this location, or where they go after laying their eggs.
While scientists have observed both hatchlings and egg-laying adult turtles, juvenile and sub-adult turtles remain elusive, adding to the mystery of the species’ life cycle. For the first time in several years, researchers from WII have tagged two turtles with satellite transmitters.
The matter came to the fore after a team from WII reached the Nasi Islands at Gahirmatha and attached the devices to the turtles Wednesday. The collected data will be analysed by WII’s Dehradun-based research centre.
This year, 6,06,933 Olive Ridley turtles participated in the mass nesting event at Gahirmatha. At Nasi-2 Island alone, 3,11,483 turtles laid eggs, while another 2,95,450 turtles nested at Nasi-1—the highest recorded number in 33 years. Female turtles come ashore to lay eggs, while males spend their entire lives in the ocean. A total of 10 previously tagged turtles were observed nesting at Gahirmatha this year.
PNN
