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Giridhar Gopal in Bhubaneswar
At least five hundred endangered Olive Ridley turtles appeared in the early hours of Friday at the Rusikulya river mouth in Orissa's Ganjam district about 175 km from Bhubaneswar.
Their appearance marks the start of the mass nesting season, Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of Orissa wildlife society and project coordinator of 'Operation Kachhap', said.
November to March is considered to be the mass nesting season for the turtles.
But this year the mass nesting was delayed, Mohanty said.
Mohanty also said that there have been no mass nesting in state's third nesting site of Devi river mouth located in the district of Puri.
Olive Ridley turtle grows up to 75 cm in length, and a female turtle can lay up to 150 eggs during the nesting season.
The turtles are under threat by the illegal operation of mechanised fishing trawlers.
The Rusikulya nesting beach is also under threat because the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd has proposed to set up its Crude Oil Terminal at Kantiagada village located near the nesting sites.
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