Ban on Visitors’ Entry to Olive Ridley Nesting Sites on Odisha Coast

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Forest Department on Wednesday banned entry of visitors into the mass nesting beaches of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles.

The forest department took this decision following reports of visitors distracting the marine turtles through their photo and video shoots using bright lights at night. These activities come under the definition of ‘hunting’ by the Wildlife Protection Act.

The state forest department directed the concerned forest divisions to close nesting beaches at Gahirmatha, Rushikulya river mouth and Devi river mouth for visitors till the hatching of Olive ridley eggs.

Olive Ridley sea turtle is protected under schedule-1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. So, the aforementioned activities come under the definition of ‘hunting’ as per provisions of section-2 (16) prohibited under section-9 of the said act. At dead of night, female Olive ridleys reach the mass nesting beaches to lay eggs. The phenomenon is called ‘arribada’. The mother turtles return back to sea after laying eggs. The eggs are hatched after 45-60 days and the baby turtles return to sea without their mothers around.