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Olive Ridley Turtle Completes Unprecedented 3,600 km Migration from Odisha to Maharashtra

A tagged turtle's journey marks the first recorded long-distance nesting migration, prompting calls for expanded research and conservation efforts.

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Mass nesting of turtles (Photo: SNS)

Overview

  • An Olive Ridley turtle tagged in March 2021 at Odisha's Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary was found nesting in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district after traveling 3,600 km.
  • This is the first confirmed instance of a turtle migrating such a long distance from Odisha to nest elsewhere, a significant scientific discovery.
  • The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) emphasizes the need to scale up tagging efforts from 3,000 to 100,000 turtles annually to better understand migration and nesting patterns.
  • Odisha remains a critical nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles, with record-breaking arribada events, including 10 lakh turtles arriving this year.
  • The discovery highlights the importance of protecting feeding and breeding grounds across the Bay of Bengal and beyond to ensure the survival of this endangered species.