In pics | Awed by nature: Olive ridley turtles return to Odisha’s beaches for laying eggs

With the arrival of more than six lakh endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles, the serene and idyllic Gahirmatha beach in Odisha’s Kendrapara district has re-established itself as the world’s largest known rookery of these marine animals.

With the arrival of more than six lakh endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles, the serene and idyllic Gahirmatha beach in Odisha’s Kendrapara district has re-established itself as the world’s largest known rookery of these marine animals.

Olive Ridley turtles return to the sea after laying their eggs in the sand at Rushikulya Beach, some 140 kilometres (88 miles) south-west of Bhubaneswar. (AFP Photo)

The delicate marine species that have dug out neat pits on the sandy beach have laid over seven crore eggs. However, space constraints on the nesting beach has led to the damage of eggs as the marine animals re-digged the pits where nests had been erected earlier, a forest official said.

An olive ridley turtle lays her eggs in the sand at Rushikulya Beach.

Since the commencement of mass-nesting -- described as ‘arribada’, a Spanish term used for en masse laying eggs by turtle species -- on February 22, the third highest ever congregation of marine species has taken place in the idyllic unmanned Island. About 6,01,641 turtles turned up the beach for nesting, the official said.

The turtle returns to the sea after their nesting is over .

People click photos of olive ridley turtles at a beach in Odisha.

A female olive ridley turtle covers sand over her eggs during nesting.

An olive ridley turtle hatches at the beach during their annul nesting period, in Rusikulya beach, Odisha.

An olive ridley turtle arrives to lay her eggs on the sand at Rushikulya Beach.

“It will be no surprise if the mass nesting record of past years is bettered this time,” said Subrat Patra, forest range officer, Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.