More than 60 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtle hatchlings have emerged from eggshells at the mass nesting sites of Nasi-2 in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Odisha. The baby turtles broke out of the eggshells and wandered around the beach for nearly an hour. Around 3.49 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles had laid eggs from March 10 to March 24.
Millions of hatchlings of Olive Ridley at Gahiramatha, Odisha taking the 1st steps to their home. This pageant will continue for few more days.
Unparalleled scene of nature’s beauty. And after years, some will return to the same spot for laying eggs.
Now, you all must be thinking, How do sea turtles hatch?
During summertime, when the weather is warm, the pregnant females return to the beaches where they themselves hatched years before. The baby turtles swim through the crashing surf and crawl up the beach searching for a nesting spot above the high watermark. Female used to dig a nest and laying her eggs usually takes from one to three hours, after which the mother turtle slowly drags herself back to the ocean. It is believed that the sea turtle lays up to 100 eggs and it will incubate in the warm sand for about 60 days. Also, the temperature of the sand will determine the genders of baby sea turtles where cooler sand will produce more males and warmer sand producing more females. This phenomenon is known as Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination or TSD. The same phenomena are applicable for other reptiles as well such as alligators and crocodiles.
Image Source: Brad Flickinger
According to the report published in NOAA Fisheries, climate change and global warming are impacting climate change may cause a higher ratio of female sea turtles, potentially affecting genetic diversity.
Now, when the tiny turtles are ready to hatch out, they do it in the sandy nest that is reminiscent of a pot of boiling water. In many regions, these events go by the colloquial term “turtle boils.” Once hatched, the turtles find their way to the ocean via the downward slope of the beach and the reflections of the moon and stars on the water.The next process is Hatching and moving to the sea all at the same time help the little critters overwhelm waiting for predators, which include sea birds, foxes, raccoons, and wild dogs.
Source: Twitter
