Carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles, currently in their breeding season, are washing ashore along the Visakhapatnam coast.

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About Olive Ridley Turtles

• Olive Ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant species of sea turtles in the world.
• They derive their name from the olive-green coloration of their carapace (shell).
• Their mass nesting behavior, known as “Arribada,” involves thousands of females coming together on the same beach to lay eggs.
• Olive Ridley turtles are mainly found in the warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
• Olive ridleys are omnivorous, mostly eating jellyfish, snails, crabs, and shrimp but they will occasionally eat algae and seaweed as well.
• Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is recognized as the world’s largest rookery of sea turtles.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Listed under Schedule I
  • CITES: Included in Appendix I
• Operation Olivia: Operation Olivia was initiated in the early 1980s to protect Olive Ridley turtles.
  • The Indian Coast Guard conducts this operation annually from November to December, safeguarding Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting.

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