Olive Ridley Turtles Skip Gahirmatha Nesting After a Decade, Raising Alarm

Bhubaneswar, April 26: In a rare ecological disruption, the annual mass nesting (arribada) of Olive Ridley turtles has failed to occur at the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha for the first time in over a decade.

Forest officials had prepared traditional nesting sites at Nasi 1, Nasi 2, and Eakakulanasi, but despite offshore congregation after mating season, the turtles did not arrive.

The last major absence was recorded in 2008 and 2014, making this year’s disruption significant after last year’s record nesting of over six million turtles.

Experts attribute the absence to factors such as coastal erosion, illegal fishing, unseasonal rainfall, climate variability, and underwater noise pollution, which may have disturbed the turtles’ navigation instincts.

Meanwhile, at Rushikulya beach, over 200,000 turtles successfully nested in March 2026, highlighting mixed trends along Odisha’s coast.

Conservationists warn that Gahirmatha’s disruption is an ecological warning signal, given its status as one of the world’s largest Olive Ridley nesting grounds.

Environmentalists are calling for stronger monitoring, sustainable coastal management, and community awareness to safeguard these endangered species.