Training Camp on Olive Ridley Turtle Nesting and Conservation

Kakatpur (Tushar Dixit), Date: 26/12
A workshop on the safe nesting and breeding of Olive Ridley turtles was held on Wednesday at the Forest Office premises near Pir Jahania, organized by the Astaranga Wildlife Division under the Puri Wildlife Department.

The camp was inaugurated with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Astaranga Range Officer Sudarshan Dehuri. Forest department staff, fishermen, and others were present and actively participated in the discussion.

In the beginning, Sobhakar Behera, Bichitrananda Biswal, Forester Balaram Sahu, Sabira Sahu, Biraja Mahapatra, Akash Rath, Soumya Ranjan Biswal, and others emphasized the importance of protecting Olive Ridley turtles and their nesting. They informed that Olive Ridley is the smallest sea turtle species and that there are eight major nesting sites for these turtles in the world—three of which are in Odisha: Gahirmatha in Kendrapada, Devi River mouth in Astaranga, and Rushikulya in Ganjam.

Speakers highlighted that Olive Ridley turtles complete their egg-laying before sunrise, prefer isolated beaches for nesting, and that hatchlings emerge within 45–60 days of egg-laying. They also stressed that hatchlings should not be released into the sea at the same location where eggs were laid, but should instead be released at safer places.

Camp participants also visited a temporary hatchery near Pir Jahania beach where turtle eggs are safely kept until they hatch. They were briefed on how eggs are arranged and the spacing between them during incubation.

Dilip Nayak, Bhavagrahi Sethy, Sukadeva Mohanty, and others assisted in organizing and conducting the training camp.