Kurma Mela

Kurma Mela: Recently, over seven lakh Olive Ridley turtles arrived for mass nesting (arribada) at Odisha’s Rushikulya beach, a remarkable event celebrated as a sign of ecological recovery.

• Olive Ridley Turtles : Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea {Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)}
• Nesting Patterns & Ecological BehaviorsArribada Phenomenon: A rare mass nesting behavior where thousands of females nest synchronously, often over just a few nights.

၀ Philopatry: Turtles exhibit strong site fidelity, returning to the exact beach of their birth, guided by the Earth’s geomagnetic imprint.

၀ Site Selection Cues: Factors like nutrient-rich cold-core eddies, beach gradient, salinity, rainfall, and predation risks influence where they choose to nest.

၀ Temperature-Linked Sex Ratio: Warmer sand temperatures lead to a higher number of female hatchlings, making climate a key determinant of population dynamics.

• Habitat Range: Tropical and subtropical oceans, primarily nesting along Mexico and Central America’s Pacific coastlines
• Indian Significance: Odisha is a key global nesting region, supporting some of the largest turtle congregations worldwide. Locations :

၀ Gahirmatha Beach

၀ Devi River Mouth

၀ Rushikulya River Mouth