The Olive Ridley sea turtle rookery at Gahirmatha in the Indian State of Orissa was discovered in 1974. Although one more such mass nesting site has been discovered in Orissa, our limited knowledge on this species in India still largely emanates from studies at the lone Gahirmatha rookery. Considering the endangered status of the Olive Ridley and that it is the only one of the five species in India to have confirmed mass nesting here, this survey for information on their nesting in the other parts of the Orissa coast was imperative. It resulted in the discovery, in 1994, of a third rookery at the Rushikulya river-mouth where close to 2,00,000 Olive Ridley arrive for nesting, making the Orissa coast one of the most important areas of conservation interest. This report of that survey also documents Olive Ridley’s nesting intensity in other parts of the Orissa coast and presents a clearer insight into the problems and threats to their survival.
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