Hundreds of sea turtles take over beach for mass nesting

By Ottilie Von Henning

Hundreds of endangered sea turtles have taken over a beach as part of their mass nesting.

Amazing video shows a seemingly endless stretch of beach near the Rushikulya River mouth in Odisha, India, and Olive Ridley turtles sprawled across the sand.

According to Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sunny Khokkar, over 11,000 turtles laid eggs on the first day (Feb 16) across a 4km stretch of land.

The turtles dig pits in the sand to lay their eggs - between 100 and 150 - before covering them and returning to the sea.

The nesting is expected to continue for several more days as many turtles are still in the sea waiting to come ashore.

To safeguard the nesting process, the Forest Department has implemented protective measures such as enlisting local volunteers to help create a secure environment.

A forest officer stated that the section of the beach has been fenced off to prevent visitors from disturbing the turtles.

The restrictions are set to remain in place for the next 50 days until the hatchlings emerge.