Baby Olive Ridley turtles pop up along Gahirmata beach

Wildlife lovers are elated as hatchlings broke out of eggshells and crawled towards their seaward journey in the tranquil nesting grounds at Island.

Around 4.26 lakh turtles had arrived at the Nasi-1 nesting ground to lay eggs on the sandy beach in Kendrapara district during March.

For last three days, newborn babies are emerging with mother turtles nowhere in sight. The whole of Nasi-1 Island is teeming with baby turtles and officials of Bhitarkanika National Park were sole witness to the unique natural heritage involving birth of babies sans mother, said forest officials.

Tourists and researchers are denied entry to the area as the unmanned islands are located in close vicinity of Wheeler's Island defence test range centre, a prohibited territory.

"The emergence of hatchlings from egg shells is expected to continue for at least a week. The one-km beach is virtually littered with hatchlings. The babies were literally jostling for space to loiter around before their final plunge into seawater," said Manoj Kumar Mahapatra, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division.

The babies broke out of eggshells and wandered around the sandy beach for nearly an hour before making their way to swirling seawater, says a wildlife staff.