Rushikulya River

Why in news?

• The Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha’s Ganjam district has emerged as a major mass nesting site for the Olive Ridley turtles as a record number of over 6.37 lakh turtles laid eggs on the beach during the eight-day mass nesting.
• Olive Ridley Turtles also arrived at Gahirmatha beach in Odisha, which is known as the world’s largest known nesting site of the olive ridley turtles.
• Puri and Devi river mouth beaches too host Olive Ridley turtles this time around.

About Rushikulya River:

• It originates from Daringbadi hills of the Eastern Ghats.
• It flows through only one state- Odisha.
• The river meets the Bay of Bengal at Puruna Bandha in Ganjam.
• Its tributaries are
  • Baghua, Dhanei and Badanadi.
• It has no delta as such at its mouth.

About Olive Ridley turtles:

• These are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world. They are predominantly carnivorous.
• They are mainly found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but also in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
• They spend their entire lives in the ocean. Further, they migrate thousands of kilometres between feeding and mating grounds in a year.
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

Mass nesting:

• These turtles, are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
• The coast of Orissa in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive-ridley and has three arribada beaches at Gahirmatha, the mouth of the Devi river, and in Rushikulya.
• Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary (a part of the Bhitarkanika National Park) is the world's largest nesting beach for these turtles.
• More recently, a new mass nesting site has been discovered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with more than 5,000 nests reported in a season.

Add ons:

• Indian Coast Guard undertakes “Operation Olivia” every year. It is an Olive Ridley Turtle protection program.

PRACTICE QUESTION

With reference to ‘Olive ridley turtles’, consider the following statements:

1. They are most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world

2. They are mainly found in warm and tropical waters

3. They are herbivorous

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer