Tagged Olive Ridley turtles stay near coastal waters

Two Olive Ridley sea turtles were released with GPS tags in Bhubaneswar for tracking their movements. Officials reported that, after three days, the turtles are still close to shore and have not ventured into deep waters. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is tracking these turtles for the first time in 17 years. Sudarshan Gopinath Jadhav, a local forestry official, noted that it may take time for the turtles to swim further from the coast. The GPS chips embedded in the turtles are expected to provide valuable data about their behavior and how long it takes them to reach deeper waters. There continues to be sporadic hatching of turtle eggs at the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, with mass hatching anticipated by the end of April. Approximately 6.06 lakh Olive Ridley turtles laid eggs at Gahirmatha this season, which is an increase from 3.49 lakh last year. Every winter, these turtles return to this beach to lay eggs, following the same route they took when they were born.