Rajesh Kumar Behera in Kendrapara, Orissa
Much to the joy of turtle lovers and researchers , the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have started arriving to Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary ,the world’s largest rookery and one of the favourite nesting place of the endangered species, as the Bhitarakanika National Park authority have come across six carcasses of the endangered olive Ridley Sea turtle ,which were laying at the coast of Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary , informed Prasanna Kumar Behera, the Divisional Forest Officer of Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and Wildlife Division on Sunday.
The laying of half dozen of Olive Ridley carcasses at the coast of Gahiramatha Marine Sanctuary gives an ample indication that the endangered species have entered into the water of Bay of Bengal for mating and nesting season this year and are now in deep sea.
According to the scientists of Wildlife Institute of India (WII),Derahdun ,they have already sighted the mating phenomenon of several pair of endangered olive Ridley Sea turtles at the deep sea at the Bay of Bengal this year .
The scientists of WII informed that generally the endangered species ,which is a highly threatened species under Wildlife Protection Act,1972 and accorded highest protection like endangered tigers , movement are found in the deep sea of Bay of Bengal and Northern Indian Ocean round the year but it comes to the coast of Bay of Bengal during the winter season in order to lay eggs enmass at sandy beaches of Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary besides Devi river mouth and Rushikulya .Such fact has been established recently through satellite picture as the olive Ridely sea turtle ,on whose carapaces Satellite Telemetric Transmitter were fitted last year , were found moving in the Bay of Bengal and Northern Indian Ocean.
According to official sources, the female olive Ridley sea turtles lay 120- 150 eggs in a go. The female turtle arrive at the coast at the dead of the night and after laying eggs and later they get back into the deep sea water. Hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days and find their way to the sea creating a cacophony. It is one of the Nature’s rare phenomenon where babies grow without their mother.
Sea turtles, in general, nests at night. During the breeding season, males and females migrate from their feeding ground to the breeding ground ,mating occurs in the offshore waters of the breeding The female turtles tend to move towards the beaches in large synchronized concentrations. They lay their eggs at midnight in 45 centimeters pits, which they dig 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,added official sources .
According to official sources, the endangered species mortality rate is so high that one egg out of every 1000 eggs laid, ultimately hatches and the hatchlings survives to become
An adult Olive Ridley.The eggs ,which were hatched in low temperature ,most yield males.
The arribada , a Spanish term used for mass nesting phenomenon ,generally occurs during the mid week of January to end of February as it has been seen in past couple of years that the mass nesting phenomenon has occurred at Orissa coast during the specified period.
The Bhitarkanika Forest personnel has taken comprehensive measure to ensure the safety of the turtle during the mass nesting. The Bhitarkanika Forest officials have imposed a ban order on fishing activities inside the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary around 20 km off the shore from 1st November to 31st May,2010 .The forest officials have effectively enforced the ban order under the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act,1982 and Orissa Marine Fishing Rules,1983 .The forest department has sought the help from coast Guards, Marine police to step up surveillance inside the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary by restricting illegal entry of trawlers for fishing in the restrict zone ,added Behera, the DFO.
In a bid to give protection to the Olive Ridleys Sea Turtle ,during the ongoing mass nesting , at Gahirmatha, the world’s largest rookery of these marine species, the forest department has also sought the help of DRDO
To prevent illegal fishing activities inside the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary , two sea worthy modernized vessels “Olive Ridley “ and “Sea Horse “ which came from Gujarat are going to be engaged by forest department for patrolling inside the Gahirmatha in the ongoing turtle season,added the scientists of WII.
The scientists of Derhadun –based Wildlife Institute of India(WII) with the help of State Forest Department are optimistic and expecting to fit more Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTTs) commonly known as Satellite Telemetric Transmitter on carapaces of olive Ridley Sea turtles in the three nesting sites of Olive Ridley turtle ,including Gahirmatha , of the state in this ongoing turtle season.
Notably, last year the WII scientists fitted 33 Satellite Telemetric Transmitters, including 14 numbers of PTT at Gahirmatha ,12 numbers at Rushikulya and 7 numbers of PTT at Devi , on female and male turtles with an aim to monitor the movement and to get more important information regarding the turtle’s behaviour and the place from where they start for annual sojourn to Orissa coast.
Couple of years back , the scientists of WII had fitted 30 transmitters on the carapace of the turtles ,including 10 at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.
It is pertinent to note here that the ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on 2006 had provided Rs 3.5 crore to the WII to fit the satellite transmitters on the 70 turtles in Orissa to get from it information on the movements and habits of the turtles and do research on the turtles for three years.
According to forest official sources , each PTT,which were fitted on the carapaces of the turtle , coasts about 5,000 USA dollar .Scientists of WII informed that the PTTs have temperature sensors and surface time counters to indicate the proportion of time spent on the surface. The transmitters ,which were fitted on turtle, send high frequency signals that are received by polar orbiting weather satellites. The transmissions are first decoded to identify the transmitter , as each has a unique code. The latitudes and longitudes can be plotted on a map and the migratory routes of the turtles traced
Experts of their view that the tranquil beaches of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary is considered to be the most congenial habitat for the mass nesting phenomenon of these species.
