KALINGA TIMES (Orissa, India) 30 March 08 Why do the Olive Ridleys play truant? (Manoj Kar)
Kendrapara (Orissa): Are the sea turtles going to skip their annual visits for mass nesting to Gahirmatha coast? Has the rapidly fragmented and inconducive beaches anything to do with the Olive Ridleys playing truant? Did the trawl fishing and human interference affect their privacy?
These pertinent points have come under sharp debate even as there are no signs of arribada, a Spanish term that describes the unique natural heritage of millions of these marine species converging on the nesting ground in this part of the state for laying eggs.
As their annual sojourn getting inordinately delayed, wildlife lovers and forest personnel are apprehensive and worried a lot.
Each year Olive Ridley turtles in million of numbers used to turn up for laying eggs during January-February in world's largest-known rookery of these species along the Gahirmatha beach.
There are instances in past when turtles made their appearance towards 1st week of March. But it was never delayed beyond that.
"We are still hopeful. We are expecting it at any time from now," said forest officials.
It should be noted here that mass nesting of Olive Ridleys has already come to an end along Rushikulya river mouth during February.
Experts are yet to arrive at definite conclusion that has led to the disappearance of turtles.
All along mystery hovers around the behaviour and habitation pattern of these marine species. Research is yet to throw much light on these. They continue to prefer Orissa coast for breeding and nesting. But nothing much is known about their destination once they leave the Orissan coast after laying eggs.
Delay in emergence of turtles along the Gahirmatha might be due to multiplicity of factors. But these conclusions are in the realm of speculation, view experts.
In all probability, sea erosion that has paved the way for rapid topographical changes in the 12 km long Gahirmatha beach might be distracting the turtles.
Fragmented beaches with its area reduced considerably over the years might be proving less congenial for en-masse emergence of turtles for arribada.
This apart, the face of the nesting ground has turned steep and sharp inconveniencing the turtles in the act of climbing up to the nesting ground, opine turtle experts.
This year has proved to be disastrous for Ridleys as there has been alarming spurt in mortality rate of these species.
Despite ban on fishing, trawls trespass into turtle congregation zones and in the process, these species have perished in thousands either by getting hit by trawl propeller or getting entangled in mono-filament fishing nets.
The man-made interference of this nature has emerged as prominent factor to distract the turtles towards Gahirmatha nesting ground.
Why do the Olive Ridleys play truant?