Much to the delight of conservationists, Olive Ridley turtles have turned at Gahirmatha beach, the world’s largest known rookery of these species, for mass nesting, a phenomenon otherwise described as ‘arribada’ (a Spanish term) for the past 24 hours.

Last year, 5.12 lakh turtles had arrived en-masse for mass nesting from 8 March to 13 March. This time it was delayed by a month, probably due to unsteady sea and spell of unseasonal rain.

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It is heartening to note that turtles have finally emerged at the nesting beach to lay eggs at the tranquil Nasi-2 islands beach of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, said Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Forest (Mangrove) Division.

The natural phenomenon is expected to last for at least one week. Thus, the mass nesting figure will shoot up substantially in the coming days, said Yadav.

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

Nasi-II beach comes under the jurisdiction of Defence research and Development Organisation which conducts missile tests from neighbouring Wheeler Island. That’s why, it is a prohibited territory and outsiders are disallowed entry into the unmanned Island. Only forest personnel are deployed there for patrolling.

The forest personnel were the lone witness to the rare visual treat with turtles crawling on the beach and triggering hissing noise and soothing cacophony. No wildlife researcher made it to the place this time to witness the rare natural phenomenon because of prohibition on their visit to the place

“The presence of forest personnel on the nesting ground did not bother the turtles as they maintained distance from the animals. Emphasis is on to provide privacy to the marine animals during the egg-laying process. On their seaward journey, they moved past the forest guards at hand-shaking distance,” said the officials.

It’s only the female turtles that invade the nesting beaches usually at the dead of the night for laying eggs, the phenomenon otherwise described as ‘arribada’. After indulgence in instinctive egg-laying, the turtles leave the nesting ground to stride into the deep sea water, they said.

An Olive Ridley usually lays about 120 to 150 eggs from which hatchlings emerge after about 45 to 60 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.