High tides destroying Olive Ridley turtles’ nests

Crows feeding on the Olive Ridley Turtle eggs exposed due to high tide at the Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district.- Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Nature has played truant for mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles and survival of their eggs in the nests in the sand at Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district of Odisha, a major nesting point of these endangered turtles on Indian coast.

According to local people and marine fishermen, because of high tides large numbers of Olive Ridley nests and the eggs in them have been destroyed. Usually Olive Ridley eggs buried in the beach incubate because of warmth of the sand and hatch in 45 days. But this year incubation of eggs has taken longer than that. According to Bivash Pandav, scientist of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), climatic changes are the catalysts behind this increase in incubation period to may be 60 days.

But this lengthened incubation period of 60 days has compelled the Olive Ridley nests at this coast to face four major lunar high tides on two full moon and two new moon days that fall during this period. These high tides were devastating for the Olive Ridley nests. The high tide on new moon day on April 18 was most devastating as it has destroyed large number of nests and eggs, said Rabindranath Sahu of Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee (RSTPC). These tides are also a major reason behind the delay in incubation and hatching, feels Mr Pandav. According to him when sea water comes over the sandy beach it reduces its temperature. Reduced temperature delays the incubation and hatching, he added.

Climatic changes due to Hudhud cyclone in October 2014 and the rains during months following it had delayed mating and mass nesting of Olive Ridleys at this coast this year. During past years mass nesting had started in February. But this year, mass nesting occurred at Rushikulya rookery coast from March 11 to 18, with a delay of around one month. As per official enumeration, this year around 3,10,000 mother Olive Ridleys have laid eggs at Rushikulya rookery coast. It had increased hope of record number of hatchings at this coast. However tidal erosion washed away a large number of nests with half incubated eggs.