Kendrapara: As many as 4,41,255 Olive Ridley turtles have laid eggs in the last six day at the golden beach of Nasi-II on Abdul Kalam Island.
The turtle congregation at Nasi –II would continue for possibly two more days, said Bimal Prasanna Acharya, DFO of Rajnagar mangrove forest and wildlife division.
Last year, 6.57 lakh female turtles had turned up on the beach to dig pits and lay eggs, Acharya stated.
A 600-metre net barricade has been set up on the beach to ensure safety of the turtles, he said.
“The forest officials are keeping a close watch on the beach to prevent dogs and jackals from venturing into the nesting ground. As the site is close to the missile test range of DRDO, visitors are also barred from entering the area,” Acharya added.
The female turtles lay 100-120 eggs in a go. They lay eggs at midnight in 45 cm pits, which they dig 2-3 feet long with their rear flippers. After laying the eggs in the pits, the female turtles cover the nests with sand and return to the sea in a zigzag manner to confuse predators about the location of the nests. Hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days and find their way to the sea creating a cacophony.
Due to multi layering, more than 15 to 20 per cent of laid eggs were destroyed at Nasi -II. The forest personnel collected about 400 eggs that were lying exposed to predators at the sporadic nesting sites of Nasi-I, Ekakula, Agarnashi, Satabhaya, Habalikhati, Petha and Dobandi beaches. The forest personnel have brought the eggs to hatch them artificially at the artificial hatcheries set up at Babubali, Ekakula, Habalikhati, Agarnashi and Dobandi.
PNN