Hundreds of endangered Olive Ridley turtles, besides a bottlenose dolphin, were found dead on Puri beach in Odisha. The turtles were lying scattered stretching from Digabarini and Chakratirtha Road on the Puri beach.
Forest department officials say the turtles may have been hit by trawlers fishing along the Puri beach in Orissa. Local fishermen often flout the ban on fishing along the coast, disturbing the natural nesting space of turtles, they say. Olive ridley is one of the five species of marine turtles to mate and nest on India’s shores. The turtles come in “large numbers to Gahirmatha, mouth of rivers Devi and Rushikulya in Orissa coast, for annual nesting.
Tens of thousands of olive ridley turtles also come to the shores of southern India to lay eggs every year between January and April. In 2014, more than 900 olive ridley turtles were found dead along the coast of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Recently, scores of whales were washed ashore in Tamil Nadu. Despite all efforts by fishermen, at least 45 of them died while the rest were rescued and pushed back into the sea.
Learn Inclusively – Improve Your Vocabulary
- Trawler means a boat that is used for catching fish with a large net.
- Rescue means save (someone) from a dangerous or difficult situation.
- Scatter means spread out in different directions.
