Bhubaneswar, April 6 -- Mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles has declined significantly this year at the Rushikulya river mouth in Odisha's Ganjam district. Only around 2 lakh nesting were recorded compared to nearly 9 lakh in two phases last year.

Although the turtles arrived at the site, the nesting activity lasted for only four days before stopping. The development has raised concerns over changing weather patterns and environmental factors affecting the annual phenomenon.

The Olive Ridley turtles, which visit the Rushikulya sea beach every year, began nesting on March 15. On the first day, around 8,000 to 10,000 turtles carried out mass nesting. However, the activity did not continue beyond four days, with no further arrivals report...