The annual mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtles at Gahirmatha beach, world’s largest known rookery of these species, has culminated with more than 6 lakh turtles turning up to lay eggs at the idyllic nesting ground, officials said on Tuesday.

A total of 6,06, 933 turtles emerged from the seawaters to crawl and dig pits on the beaches to lay eggs, a phenomenon otherwise described as ‘arribada’ (a Spanish term) in a five-day span. The arribada that commenced on 5 March came to an end on 9 March, said Manas Das, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.

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The perfect topography and profile of the beach, largely free from sea erosion, proved to be conducive for turtles to virtually invade the beach.

After the nesting, female turtles undertook seaward journey unhindered and undisturbed as the nesting beach in the Island is unmanned and free from human interference, said the official.

The turtles turned up on the beach at the dead of the night for laying eggs. After indulgence in instinctive egg-laying, the turtles left the nesting ground to stride into the deep sea water. Hatchlings emerge from the nests after 45-60 days. It is a rare natural phenomenon where the babies grow without their mother, added the officials.

An Olive Ridley usually lays about 120 to 150 eggs from which hatchlings emerge after about 45 to 50 days. But not all eggs remain intact as predators devour it. Besides, eggs are also washed away by sea waves during high tide. The eggs are incubated in the nest and grow, sans mother, to emerge as hatchlings.

The major highlight of this year’s mass nesting was the reemergence of turtles at Eakakulanasi Island of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary after a gap of 33 years. Around 3 lakh turtles laid eggs at Island beach after playing truant for more than three decades.

The idyllic beach was hit by sea erosion, leading to the beach profile getting truncated. However, the beach is currently elongated as it has started accreting since 2020. This proved conducive for female turtles to turn up en-masse to lay eggs. The marine species had appeared at the beach in 1992 when as many as 3 lakh turtles had laid eggs.

The profile of the Ekakulanasi island beach which was around 4 kilometre long earlier has now been elongated to 8 km following accretion natural process.

The Island beach apart, the Nasi-2 beach, which is otherwise referred as outer wheeler Island beach has emerged as a favourite nesting site with more that lakh turtles emerging on the sandy beach to dig pits and lay eggs, the officer added.