What draws people to Gahirmatha in Odisha?

We are discussing migratory species. These amazing animal travelers leave us in awe of what they do, every year, for thousands of kilometers, like clockwork, sometimes seeking food and sometimes to maintain their population. We are here to discuss the olive ridley sea turtles that visit Gahirmatha in the Indian state of Odisha.

The sole turtle refuge in Odisha, Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, is deserving of recognition and frequent visits from us humans. The reason for this is that it is the olive Ridley sea turtles’ biggest known rookery in the world. A rookery is a breeding colony, for those of you who don’t know. When it’s time for breeding and nesting, sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals like penguins congregate in rookeries. We observe this.

Did you know that these turtles make the long journey from the South Pacific Ocean to the Gahirmatha region of Odisha simply to breed? They carry this out yearly. Around half a million of these turtles congregate at the sea’s edge at the mouths of the Dhamara and Brahmani rivers each year. Without a doubt, the sight is incredible.

Given the scale of the rookery, it is easy to claim that Gahirmatha has something unique. And because of this unique characteristic of the area, the government of Odisha goes above and beyond to ensure that the turtles may successfully lay their eggs every year. Gahirmatha is that protected area where countless numbers of young turtles hatch each year. But the fact that some of them do not reach the sea is regrettable (albeit normal). Only a very small portion of those newborn infants reach the ocean. If they do, they develop in the sea, and when they are adults, they return all the way to Gahirmatha, the spot where their lives actually began.

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