Unprecedented Journey: Olive Ridley Turtle Travels 3,600 km to Nest in Maharashtra

An Olive Ridley Turtle, tagged in Odisha, has made an extraordinary journey of 3,600 kilometers to nest in Maharashtra, marking a significant first in scientific observations. This unprecedented migration highlights the need for further research into the behavior of these marine creatures. With a focus on understanding their nesting patterns and migration routes, scientists emphasize the importance of large-scale tagging efforts to protect these vulnerable species. The turtle's journey not only sheds light on its remarkable capabilities but also raises questions about the conservation of its breeding grounds. Read on to learn more about this fascinating story and its implications for marine biology.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 17, 2025, 16:20 IST

Remarkable Migration of Olive Ridley Turtle

Kendrapara: An Olive Ridley Turtle, tagged approximately four years ago at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary along the Odisha coastline, has made an astonishing journey of 3,600 kilometers across the Bay of Bengal, ultimately being spotted on a beach in Maharashtra, according to a senior scientist from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).

This turtle, tagged on March 18, 2021, was discovered on a beach in Ratnagiri district, where it had come to nest and lay its eggs, the scientist reported.

Basudev Tripathy, a senior ZSI scientist, noted that this marks the first documented case of a turtle, previously nesting on Odisha's shores, migrating such a significant distance to lay eggs.

Typically, turtles tagged at Odisha's nesting sites do not travel such extensive distances, Tripathy explained.

In the past, some tagged turtles were rescued by fishermen off the northern coast of Sri Lanka, but there has been no record of turtles tagged in the eastern state nesting in Sri Lanka, he added.

Regarding migration patterns, Tripathy mentioned that sea turtles generally migrate between their foraging and nesting locations.

Both male and female turtles travel to breeding sites, often returning to the beaches where they were born.

To effectively protect the feeding and breeding grounds of Olive Ridley turtles along the Bay of Bengal, further research and tagging of these vulnerable marine creatures is essential, he emphasized.

The turtle's unprecedented nesting in western India has garnered scientific interest.

Given that a tagged turtle from Odisha was found nesting for the first time on Maharashtra's coast, there is now a heightened focus on conducting more detailed scientific studies into the behavior of these migratory marine species, Tripathy added.

Previously tagged Olive Ridley turtles have traveled about 1,000 kilometers to reach the northern waters of Sri Lanka within a month from Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, but they did not nest there.

Usually, these turtles return to Odisha for mass nesting. However, the turtle tagged by ZSI in 2021 was discovered nesting at Ratnagiri beach in Maharashtra.

This female turtle undertook a challenging journey of no less than 3,600 kilometers to nest at the site in Maharashtra, Tripathy noted.

Tagging studies have confirmed Odisha as the preferred nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles, with 'arribada' (mass nesting) only observed at Gahirmatha, Rushikulya, and Devi river beaches in the state.

This highlights the necessity for large-scale tagging of nesting turtles each year to further comprehend their behavior, he stated.

The Odisha Forest Department initiated turtle tagging in 1999, tagging around 1,000 turtles, two of which were later spotted off the coast of Sri Lanka. This initiative was paused for several years before being resumed by ZSI in 2021. From 2021 to 2024, approximately 12,000 turtles have been tagged at the Gahirmatha and Rushikulya river mouth nesting sites, according to official reports.

Mass nesting along Odisha's coast remains impressive, with around 1 million turtles arriving at the state's nesting beaches for 'arribada' this year alone.

Tripathy emphasized the need for tagging to be conducted on a much larger scale.

Currently, about 3,000 turtles are tagged each year, but it is believed that at least 100,000 turtles should be tagged to gain deeper insights into their reproductive biology, movements, growth rates, migratory paths, and foraging areas.