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Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is a marine wildlife sanctuary in the Indian state of Odisha, extending from the Dhamra River mouth in the north to Brahmani river mouth in the south. [1] It is the world's largest and most important nesting beach for olive ridley sea turtles. [2]
Gahirmatha Beach (Odia: ଗହୀରମଥା ବେଳାଭୂମି) is a beach in Kendrapara district of the Indian state of Odisha.The beach separates the Bhitarkanika Mangroves from the Bay of Bengal and is the world's most important nesting beach for olive ridley sea turtles.
The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest [ 4 ] [ 5 ] and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
Olive ridley turtles arrive in January to March for nesting at Gahirmatha Beach. An average of 240,000 nests per season was estimated between 1976 and 1996. Up to 80,000 turtles were captured every year until 1982. Since 1983, collecting and marketing turtles and their eggs has been banned. [5]
A Kemp's ridley hatchling, an endangered species of sea turtle, reaches the surf at Padre Island National Seashore during a public release on June 28, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Olive ridley turtles nest on Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary and other nearby beaches. Bhitarkanika has one of the largest populations of endangered saltwater crocodile in India and is globally unique in that 10% of the adults exceed 6 m length. Around 1,671 saltwater crocodiles inhabit the rivers and creeks. [2]
The turtle is from the same genus - Lepidochelys - as two of the world's seven living species of sea turtles - the Kemp's ridley, the world's smallest sea turtle, and the olive ridley, Cadena said.
Olive ridley sea turtles nest on the beaches. [3] Blackbucks were present in the sanctuary until 2012, but they eventually disappeared, mainly due to habitat loss and increasing human interference. In Jume 2024, the blackbucks were released into the sanctuary from the zoo. In September 2024, 13 more were released. [6]