Hundreds of Olive Ridley turtle eggs washed away

Bhubaneswar, April 1 (IANS) Despite various preservation measures, hundreds of rare Olive Ridley turtle eggs were washed away in tidal waves in Rushikulya beach, one of the three mass nesting sites in Orissa.
High tidal waves exposed the nesting sites, leading to a loss of hundreds of eggs in Rushikulya beach in Orissa’s Ganjam district.

“Eggs are getting lost since the mass nesting started. The high tide during full moon and new moon are creating havoc on the turtle nests,” said Rabindra Sahu, secretary of Rushikulya Turtle Surakshya Samiti - a voluntary organisation.

“It is a natural loss. We are trying our best to save the eggs through our staff members and voluntary organisations,” said Ajay Kumar Jena, district forest officer of Berhampur.

However, environmentalists are worried about the huge loss of Olive Ridley turtle eggs.

“A huge number of eggs are getting lost to tidal waves. We can save them by relocating the eggs from the shore till the hatchlings come out,” said an environmentalist.

Rushikulya beach is about 175 km from here.