Olive Ridley turtles GPS-tagged at Rushikulya in Ganjam to track migration

Two Olive Ridley sea turtles have been fitted with GPS satellite transmitters near the Rushikulya river mouth at Podampeta in Ganjam district, marking an important step in tracking their movement and migratory routes in the sea.

As per reports, of the two turtles tagged, one is male and the other female. The satellite tracking will help researchers determine the turtles’ places of origin and understand their oceanic travel patterns before they reach the Odisha coast. After the tagging process, both turtles were safely released back into the sea.

Unlike previous years, when GPS tagging was carried out mainly during the nesting (egg-laying) period, this time the tagging has been conducted during the mating phase. Scientists believe this will provide more detailed insights into the turtles’ behaviour and movement while they are in open waters.

"A male and another female Olive Ridley turtles were tagged with GPS satellite transmitters and they were released into the sea. Thus we can track their movements for the next one year. It will help us in their conservation," said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Prem Kumar Jha.

The GPS satellite transmitters used for the study were imported from New Zealand. The tagging operation was carried out by a three-member expert team from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.

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Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sunny Khokar said the primary objective of the initiative is to conduct an in-depth study of the migratory routes and behavioural patterns of Olive Ridley turtles in the open sea. The data collected is expected to play a crucial role in framing more effective conservation strategies for the protection of this endangered marine species.

"The movement pattern of the Olive Ridley turtles could be tracked with the help of GPS satellite transmitters. We have tagged both male and female turtles with the transmitters this year," said Berhampur DFO Sunny Khokar.

During January and February this year, a record 6,98,718 Olive Ridley sea turtles laid eggs at the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district. Environmentalists and Forest Department officials are hopeful that an even larger number of turtles will arrive for mass nesting in the coming season.

To ensure a safe nesting environment, strict patrolling is being carried out in coastal waters, while several voluntary organisations are conducting beach cleanliness drives to keep the coastline plastic-free and conducive for turtle nesting.

"The mating season of Olive Ridley turtles is currently going on. Then they will have mast nesting. The transmitters have been fitted to track their movements," said Ganjam Turtle Protection Committee Chairman, Rabindra Nath Sahu.

"We have used new GPS satellite transmitters with advanced technology to get information about the movement and congregation of Olive Ridley turtles," said Mohit, Senior Project Associate of Wildlife Institute of India.