{"id":156372,"date":"2025-02-22T18:50:51","date_gmt":"2025-02-22T13:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=156372"},"modified":"2025-02-22T19:11:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T13:41:19","slug":"rushikulya-mass-nesting-site","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/rushikulya-mass-nesting-site","title":{"rendered":"Rushikulya Mass Nesting site in Odisha"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wildlife enthusiasts are thrilled as a record 6.5 lakh endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have arrived at the Rushikulya beach in Odisha\u2019s Ganjam district for mass nesting after a gap of two years.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Olive Ridley Turtles<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-156359 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/221-67b9ca203189d.webp\" alt=\"Rushikulya Mass Nesting site\" width=\"502\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/221-67b9ca203189d.webp 708w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/221-67b9ca203189d-300x217.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 502px) 100vw, 502px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Olive Ridley turtle is the <\/span><b>smallest and most abundant sea turtle<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> species in the world.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Named after the <\/span><b>olive-green color<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of its carapace (shell).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Known for their unique mass nesting behavior called <\/span><b>Arribada<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where thousands of females gather on the same beach to lay eggs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Distribution<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found in the warm waters of the <\/span><b>Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Odisha\u2019s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the <\/span><b>world\u2019s largest rookery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (breeding colony) of Olive Ridley turtles.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Conservation Status<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>IUCN Red List<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Vulnerable.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Wildlife Protection Act, 1972<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Schedule I (highest protection).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>CITES<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Appendix I (prohibits international trade).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Arribada\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a <\/span><b>unique mass nesting behaviour,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> where thousands of females come together on the <\/span><b>same beach to lay eggs.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is\u00a0 found<\/span><b> only in the genus Lepidochelys<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which includes the <\/span><b>Kemp\u2019s ridley and olive ridley<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sea turtles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Necessary elements of arribada:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">offshore winds, lunar cycles, the release of pheromones by females and the temperature of the seawater.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Threats to Olive Ridley Turtles<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Human Activities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Poaching of eggs and turtles.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fishing activities leading to accidental capture in nets.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Habitat Destruction<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Coastal development and pollution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Climate Change<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Rising sea levels and changing temperatures affect nesting sites.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conservation Effort: Operation Olivia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initiated in the early 1980s by the <\/span><b>Indian Coast Guard (ICG)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conducted annually from <\/span><b>November to May<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to protect Olive Ridley turtles during their breeding and nesting season.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About other sea turtles in India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.5984%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 24.0964%; text-align: center;\"><b>Leatherback Turtle<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5181%; text-align: center;\"><b>Loggerhead Turtle<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 21.988%; text-align: center;\"><b>Hawksbill Turtle<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 23.6945%; text-align: center;\"><b>Green Turtle<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 24.0964%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Largest<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the seven sea turtle species.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Habitat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Found in all oceans <\/span><b>except the Arctic and the Antarctic<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>IUCN Status<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Vulnerable<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act:<\/b> <b>Schedule I<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5181%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Habitat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Found in the <\/span><b>Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>IUCN Status<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0 <\/span><b>Vulnerable<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><b>Schedule I<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 21.988%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Habitat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Found in <\/span><b>Tropical coral reefs.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>IUCN status<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Critically Endangered<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><b>Schedule I<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 23.6945%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Only herbivores<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> among the different species of sea turtles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Habitat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Mainly in <\/span><b>tropical and subtropical waters<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>IUCN status<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Endangered<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>Schedule I<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Turtles vs Tortoises<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.7992%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 15.8635%; text-align: center;\"><b>Characteristics<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.5502%; text-align: center;\"><b>Turtles<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-156360\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/222-67b9ca1fe8960.webp\" alt=\"Rushikulya Mass Nesting site\" width=\"302\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/222-67b9ca1fe8960.webp 497w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/222-67b9ca1fe8960-300x215.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 302px) 100vw, 302px\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.0568%; text-align: center;\"><b>Tortoises<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-156361\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/223-67b9ca1c45534.webp\" alt=\"Rushikulya Mass Nesting site\" width=\"219\" height=\"222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/223-67b9ca1c45534.webp 392w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/223-67b9ca1c45534-296x300.webp 296w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 219px) 100vw, 219px\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 15.8635%;\"><b>Shells<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.5502%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have <\/span><b>thinner<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, more <\/span><b>water-dynamic shells.\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.0568%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have <\/span><b>more rounded<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>domed shells.\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 15.8635%;\"><b>Habitat<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.5502%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turtles<\/span><b> spend their life in water<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.0568%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tortoises spend <\/span><b>most of their time on land<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 15.8635%;\"><b>Legs<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.5502%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have <\/span><b>flipper-like legs or webbed feet <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to make it easier to cruise through the water.<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.0568%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have <\/span><b>&#8216;club-like&#8217; forelegs and &#8216;elephantine&#8217; hind legs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help them move around and carry the extra weight.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 15.8635%;\"><b>Food<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.5502%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally <\/span><b>omnivorous<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They eat jellyfish, seaweed, and so forth.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.0568%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally <\/span><b>herbivorous<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They eat grass and leafy vegetables.\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 15.8635%;\"><b>Life Span<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 37.5502%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They usually have a<\/span><b> life span of 20-40 years.<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 48.0568%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They usually have a<\/span><b> life span of 80-150 years<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Also Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Editorials<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Main Answer Writing<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-previous-year-papers?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Previous+Year+Papers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Test Series<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wildlife enthusiasts are thrilled as a record 6.5 lakh endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have arrived at the Rushikulya beach in Odisha\u2019s Ganjam district for mass nesting after a gap of two years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":156363,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2089],"subject":[4642],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/156372"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156372"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/156372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156386,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/156372\/revisions\/156386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156372"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=156372"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=156372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}