(Image credits- Medium/Monikarautela)

Have you recently strolled along an Odisha beach and witnessed a sea of turtles, their shells glistening under the sun, and wondered what this extraordinary spectacle was all about?

Every year, Odisha’s shores become the stage for nature’s most captivating events: the mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles, a phenomenon known as Arribada. This year, a record-breaking 6.82 lakh turtles have graced the Rushikulya rookery, transforming the sandy expanse into a living tapestry of marine life.

The smallest yet most abundant

The Olive Ridley sea turtle, scientifically known as Lepidochelys olivacea, is the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles. They are easily identified by their olive-green carapace (shell), which is heart-shaped and slightly flattened. Adult Olive Ridleys typically measure between 60 to 70 cm in carapace length and weigh around 35 to 45 kg.

Their distinctive colouration provides excellent camouflage in the open ocean,........

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