Kendrapara (Odisha), May 16 — An Olive Ridley turtle tagged with a satellite-linked tracking device at Odisha’s Gahirmatha beach has completed a remarkable journey of approximately 1,000 kilometers in 51 days, reaching the Andhra Pradesh coast, officials confirmed on Friday.
According to forest authorities, the turtle navigated the waters of Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry before arriving on the Andhra coastline. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) monitored its movement through satellite tracking.
Satellite Tracking Confirms Long-Distance Migration
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Prem Shankar Jha, confirmed that the latest tracking data showed the turtle swimming off Andhra Pradesh's coast. “The tagged turtle traversed a distance of about 1,000 kilometers over 51 days through various maritime regions,” he said.This migration highlights the vast marine routes Olive Ridley turtles use and underscores the importance of satellite monitoring in understanding their travel patterns.
Previous Record: 3,500 km Journey to Maharashtra
In an earlier instance, a turtle tagged in Odisha four years ago was tracked after traveling 3,500 kilometers to lay eggs in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. Such migrations are crucial in understanding these endangered marine animals' reproductive and foraging behaviors.Odisha: A Global Nesting Hub
Odisha's Gahirmatha beach, located along the Bay of Bengal in Kendrapara district, is recognized as the world’s largest nesting ground for Olive Ridley turtles. Besides Gahirmatha, mass nesting events are recorded at the Rushikulya river mouth in Ganjam district and the Devi river mouth in Puri district.Each year, the Odisha Forest Department tags around 3,000 turtles with tracking devices. However, experts believe that tagging at least one lakh turtles is essential to gather comprehensive data on their reproductive biology, migration routes, growth, and foraging patterns.
Revival of Tagging Efforts
Tagging of Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha was initiated in 1999. During the early phase, two turtles tagged at Gahirmatha were later spotted on the Sri Lankan coast. The tagging programme was suspended but was resumed by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in 2021.Between 2021 and 2024, approximately 12,000 turtles have been tagged at Gahirmatha and Rushikulya nesting grounds, marking a significant push toward marine biodiversity research and conservation.
The recent journey of the tagged turtle reaffirms the ecological significance of these migratory creatures and the vital role of continued tracking to ensure their protection.
