Baby Olive Ridley turtles make their way to sea in Odisha

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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Baby Olive Ridley turtles make their way to sea

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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As many as 6.37 lakh Olive Ridleys had laid eggs in a 3-km stretch from Podampeta to Bateshwar during the eight-day mass nesting from February 28.

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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Witnessing the amazing sight of turtle hatchlings making their way to the ocean is truly a remarkable experience that reminds us of Nature’s beauty.

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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The Olive Ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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According to the Indian Coast Guard, the occurrence of Olive Ridley turtles begins annually in November-December and continues until April-May.

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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However, the nesting phase has been observed late in the past few years. It reportedly tends to begin after mid- January or early February.

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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Olive Ridley turtles generally spend their entire life in the ocean. They emerge out of the water and take over a period of five to seven days to lay their eggs.

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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The endangered species reportedly choose estuaries and narrow beaches for laying eggs. A single adult female can lay an average of 100-110 eggs per clutch.

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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Only about 1 in 1,000 turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood due to various challenges and threats they face, including predation, pollution, and habitat loss.

Credit: Rakesh Roul

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Olive Ridley turtles are now recognised as vulnerable by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. Efforts are now being made to conserve these smallest species of sea turtles.