Sun Mar 09 07:08:37 UTC 2025: ## Endangered Olive Ridley Turtles Return to Odisha Beach After 33-Year Absence
**BHUBANESWAR, Odisha –** Endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have made a remarkable return to Eakakulanasi island in Odisha’s Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, marking their first mass nesting event there in 33 years. An estimated 1.7 lakh turtles nested on the beach over the past two days, following beach accretion that has restored the nesting habitat.
The beach, which had suffered from erosion, has naturally elongated from 4 km to 8 km since 2020, creating ideal conditions for the turtles. This is a significant boost for conservation efforts, as the last mass nesting event at Eakakulanasi was in 1992, when 3 lakh turtles laid eggs. Combined with the nesting at Nasi-2 beach (2.63 lakh turtles), the total surpasses previous expectations.
Assistant Conservator of Forests Manas Das hailed the event as a major success for the Odisha Forest Department’s turtle protection initiative. Gahirmatha remains the world’s largest known Olive Ridley nesting ground, with millions of turtles arriving annually to lay eggs also at Rushikulya and Devi river mouths. After laying their eggs, the turtles return to the sea, leaving the hatchlings to emerge independently after 45-50 days – a unique aspect of their life cycle.
First Piper 