Arribada

Arribada is a phenomenon which lots of Olive Ridley turtles come up to the same beach and nest at the same time !!! How cool is that !! It is called as mass nesting as well, and the numbers of turtles that come up for nesting can reach few thousands of them and this phenomenon might last for weeks as well. And this is only happened in few places in the world. It happened before in Mexico, India and also Sri Lanka etc. Even scientists still couldnt find the answer for this question ??!!! Got an article to share with you all. This happened in India, at a place called Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. Enjoy the news !!

Kendrapara (Orissa), March 25: Allaying fears of environmental groups, endangered Olive Ridley Turtles have commenced their annual rendezvous with Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary as thousands of female turtles invaded the nesting beach for laying eggs. After playing truant last year, the turtles have finally laid eggs on Gahirmatha beach for mass nesting much to the relief of conservationists and forest personnel. The district administration has decided not to press the forest officials and guards engaged in turtle protection work, into poll related duty.

"In view of the department's pressing preoccupation with Olive Ridleys' protection, we have left out a section of the forest department employees from poll duty," Kendrapara District Collector Sisirkanta Panda said. About two lakh female turtles were engrossed in en mass laying of eggs since Saturday night on the sandy beaches of Nasi-2 island off Gahirmatha coast. The arribada would gradually increase, wildlife personnel at Bhitarkanika National Park said. "It's a virtual treat to watch these species make their nocturnal visits. Emerging from seawaters, they head towards the sandy beaches generating some kind of noise," narrated an official on turtle protection duty. Another official claimed that the number of turtles for nesting might go up to four lakh in a week.

The turtles loitered around the serene beach for quite a while before locating their preferred places to lay eggs. Digging out pits, they laid eggs. They stayed over an hour at the nesting ground before commencing their seaward journey. About 50 forest personnel are deployed on the beach to keep vigil and to ensure the safe and undisturbed mass nesting of the turtle species. The presence of humans on the nesting ground did not bother the turtles. They moved past the forest guards at handshaking distance. The tranquil beach has come alive with these nocturnal visitors, officials said. Round-the-clock vigil is on to ensure the safe aribada and to keep predators like wild dogs at bay, they said.

An Olive Ridley usually lays about 120 to 150 eggs from which hatchlings emerge after about 45 to 50 days. But not all eggs remain intact as predators devour it. Besides, eggs are also washed away by sea waves during high tide. The eggs are incubated in the nest and grow, sans mother, to emerge as hatchlings.

Rescued Turtle Released Back Into Gulf

I browsed internet and found this interesting article !! This incident happened on the 24th March 2009 I guess !! Have a look at it and we should save the turtles like what the little boy Jonah did !! Even though this happened in USA, but we have lots of save the turtles programmes in Malaysia as well !!

CLEARWATER - A crowd gathered on Clearwater Beach Tuesday morning to watch as Clearwater Marine Aquarium released a 134-pound loggerhead sea turtle. Since 2002 the aquarium has successfully rehabilitated and released 144 sea turtles, but CEO David Yates said it’s always exciting when they get to do this.

“Our goal at Clearwater Marine Aquarium is to rescue, rehab and release the animals back in the wild. Jonah is well so she’s going back in the wild.” Among those eagerly waiting was 5-year-old Jonah Aboulafia of Clearwater and his dad, Jared. They found the turtle in the Intracoastal Waterway near Honeymoon Island 10 months ago and immediately knew something was wrong.
“Well there was barnacles and seaweed on her back...and she was floating.”

The rehabbers at CMA named the turtle “Jonah” after the little boy. That was before they knew “he” was a “she.” They say she was very sick and emaciated with a wound on her shell. Manager of sea turtle rehab, Danielle O’Neil, said Jonah required intensive care and it took dozens of volunteers and staff to save her. “We had to tube feed her. We had to give her medications, injections. There’s a lot of time invested in an animal like this, especially considering she is a threatened animal. There’s so much time and care that has to go into this.”

Jonah paused briefly before heading for the surf (posing for one more picture perhaps?), then to the applause of the crowd, started swimming away parallel to the shore. O’Neil says this may not be a permanent goodbye. Female sea turtles usually return to where they were born to lay eggs. “They do nest along Pinellas beaches, so indeed, if she is a female, which we think she is, we might see her back here someday for nesting.