Kendrapara, Ap 16: A satellite-tagged Olive Ridley turtle from the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha has been tracked reaching the coast of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, according to senior scientist Dr. Basudev Tripathy from the Zoological Survey of India.
The turtle, tagged with ID No. 3233, had been monitored since it was tagged at Gahirmatha. Interestingly, it was first expected to head toward the Sri Lankan coast but changed its route and reached Maharashtra in January. This is the first time an Olive Ridley has been recorded nesting on both India’s east and west coasts. So far, this turtle has nested 107 times at Gahirmatha and laid 120 eggs in Ratnagiri.
In 2021, around 12,000 Olive Ridleys were satellite-tagged at Rushikulya and Gahirmatha. The tracking project, a collaboration between the Odisha Forest Department and Wildlife Institute of India, helps scientists study turtle movement and marine habits more effectively for conservation efforts.
