Olive Ridley Turtles make their way towards sea after hatching on Odisha's Rushikulya Beach
A video is gaining traction on social media which shows hundreds of tiny Olive Ridley turtles heading towards the sea after coming out of the nests buried in the sand following mass hatching at Odisha's Rushikulya beach.
The video was shared by the news agency ANI on Twitter on Thursday with caption, "Hundreds of Olive Ridley turtles make their way to the sea after hatching from their nests buried in sand at Odisha's Rushikulya beach yesterday, June 1st."
The video has garnered more than 35,000 views and over 700 likes so far. Users have left heartfelt comments on the post.
A user wrote, "Blessings to the beautiful creatures."
While another said, "Fascinating."
As the weather begins to warm, it's the time of the year when a large number of Olive Ridley turtles make their way to Odisha's shore. After burying the eggs, the turtles relax for a few days after a long journey from the Indian Ocean.
The arrival of sea turtles to lay their eggs on the sand at the Gahirmatha and Rushikulya rookeries in the eastern state is a happy occasion for conservationists.
Officials said more than 10 lakh Olive Ridley turtles have come ashore this year to lay eggs at two main mass nesting sites in Odisha, making it one of the greatest gatherings of the vulnerable species.
Because there was no major nesting at Rushikulya in 2021, the number was substantially lower last year. In the year 2020, almost 7.30 lakh turtles flocked to Gahirmatha and Rushikulya for mass nesting.