Mass hatching of Olive Ridley eggs has started at Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district of Odisha, a major mass nesting site of these endangered marine turtles in India.
Around 2.5 crore hatchlings are expected to enter the sea from this nesting site. The number could have been more this year as around 15 per cent of Olive Ridley nests at this coast had been destroyed by four lunar high tides during the incubation period, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Berhampur S. S. Mishra.
To prevent newborn turtle hatchlings straying towards the land instead of moving into the sea, net fencing has been made on the coastline for around 3.5 kilometres. These newborn hatchlings are too sensitive to light and usually get attracted towards electric lights. So, the forest department has directed the people of nearby Ganjam town and the plant of Jayashree Chemicals Limited to switch off their major lights after 9 p.m. till hatching continues.
Now watch it on the net
For the first time hatching of Olive Ridley eggs at Rushikulya rookery coast is being webcast on the internet.
According to DFO of Berhampur S. S. Mishra, this is being done to increase awareness of general public regarding our endangered wild life as well as to reduce rush of visitors to the nesting site. “Now an interested person can witness this in the comfort of one’s home. This will surely reduce the crowd at this beach, which poses a danger to the newborn hatchlings,” he added.
Videos of hatchlings are being recorded at early morning and uploaded on the web.
