Trailblazing Turtle: Oliver Ridley Defies Odds with Dual-Coast Nesting

An Olive Ridley turtle has made history by laying eggs on both India's eastern and western coasts. Tagged in Odisha, it undertook a 3,600 km journey to Maharashtra, challenging previous assumptions about their migration. This discovery prompts calls for further research into these marine species' behaviors.

An unprecedented journey by an Olive Ridley turtle has opened new research avenues into the species' migration patterns. Tagged at Odisha's Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, the turtle swam 3,600 km to nest on Maharashtra's Guhagar beach, marking the first recorded event of dual-coast nesting in India.

This discovery, highlighting a solitary turtle's ability to nest across both ocean basins, has shattered scientific assumptions. Experts are advocating for a more detailed study into these marine creatures' behavior, noting the need for a significant increase in the scale of tagging efforts to better understand their life cycle and migration paths.

The Maharashtra government's Mangrove Foundation and the Zoological Survey of India are spearheading research efforts, but the call is for expanded tagging initiatives beyond the 3,000 turtles currently tagged annually. Tripathy, a senior zoologist, suggests tagging at least one lakh turtles to gain comprehensive insights into their patterns.

(With inputs from agencies.)