The enchanting Olive Ridley turtle nesting season has officially begun at the Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha’s Ganjam district, with thousands of tiny hatchlings starting their journey towards the vast ocean. A heartwarming video shared by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan has gone viral, capturing the first moments of life for these endangered marine creatures.
(Also read: 3 lakh Olive Ridley turtles arrive in Odisha for mass nesting, IAS officer calls it 'spectacle of nature')
A journey begins
Kaswan’s video shows the hatchlings wriggling out of their sandy nests and getting swept away by the waves as they instinctively head towards the sea. Sharing the clip on X (formerly Twitter), Kaswan wrote, “The life began and so did the journey!! These newly hatched Olive Ridley Turtle in Rushikulya have started taking the journey over ocean. They will come back again for mass nesting, the same place where they were hatched. The cycle of life keeps continuing.”
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{{/usCountry}}Governor witnesses nature's miracle
According to news agency PTI, Odisha Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal Kambhampati, along with his wife Jayasree, witnessed the natural marvel first-hand on Sunday morning during a visit to review development projects in the Ganjam district. At Sipakuda near the Rushikulya river mouth, the couple watched in awe as thousands of baby turtles emerged from sandy pits and crawled unaided toward the ocean.
“It was truly an awe-inspiring experience,” the Governor said on Facebook.
Watch the clip here:
Mass matching underway
According to Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sunny Khokkar, mass hatching began last Thursday along a five-kilometre stretch from Podampeta to Bateswar near Ganjam town and is expected to continue for another two to three days. Speaking to PTI, Khokkar said forest officials anticipate a record number of hatchlings this year.
Protection in place
Assistant Conservator of Forests, Khallikote range, Dibya Sankar Behera said that elaborate protection measures are in place to safeguard the vulnerable hatchlings. Local volunteers are also assisting forest staff to ensure the young turtles reach the sea safely, underscoring a powerful collaboration between conservationists and the community.