These turtles are carnivores and get their name from their olive-coloured carapace.
They are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
Habitat:
They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is known as the world’s largest rookery (a colony of breeding animals) of sea turtles.
Protection Status:
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
CITES: Appendix I
Every year, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early 1980s, helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.
Threats Faced by Olive Ridley Turtles?
Coastal development projects, such as the construction of seawalls, resorts, and ports, destroy nesting beaches and reduce foraging grounds for olive ridley turtles.
They are accidentally caught in fishing gear, such as gillnets, trawls, and longlines. This can injure or kill the turtles.
Raccoons, crabs, birds, and foxes can raid olive ridley turtle nests and predate on the eggs affecting their population growth.
Warmer ocean temperatures can also disrupt the sex ratios of hatchlings, producing more females.
They can often consume plastic bags in search of foods like for jellyfish, and ingest them, leading to blockages and starvation.
Artificial lights from nearby towns and industries can disorient hatchlings, causing them to move away from the sea and towards nearby villages.
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