Olive Ridley Turtles

About Olive Ridley Turtles

• They are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
• It gets its name from the olive green colouration of its carapace (shell). 
• Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea
• They are best known for their unique mass nesting, called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
• Distribution:
  • They are mainly found in the warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
  • Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is known as the world’s largest rookery (a colony of breeding animals) of sea turtles.
• Features:
  • An adult typically measures between 62 and 70 cm in length and weighs about 35-45 kg. 
  • They have one to two visible claws on each of their paddle-like flippers. 
  • They are omnivorous, meaning they feed on both plants and animals.
  • They are solitary, preferring the open ocean.
  • These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
  • CITES: Appendix I

Key Facts about Hope Island

• It is a tadpole-shaped island, located off the coast of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, in the Bay of Bengal. 
• Hope Island is so named for providing a natural haven to sailors against the forces of wind and tide against the weary traveler. 
• This island is young, as it was formed in the late 18th century, by the waters of the Koringa River, which is a distributary of the River Godavari.
• The area between Kakinada coast and Hope Island is known as Kakinada Bay.
• It acts as a natural barrier from storm surges and is a natural breakwater for the Kakinada coast. About Olive Ridley Turtles:
• They are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
• It gets its name from the olive green colouration of its carapace (shell). 
• Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea
• They are best known for their unique mass nesting, called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
• Distribution:
  • They are mainly found in the warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
  • Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is known as the world’s largest rookery (a colony of breeding animals) of sea turtles.
• Features:
  • An adult typically measures between 62 and 70 cm in length and weighs about 35-45 kg. 
  • They have one to two visible claws on each of their paddle-like flippers. 
  • They are omnivorous, meaning they feed on both plants and animals.
  • They are solitary, preferring the open ocean.
  • These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
  • CITES: Appendix I

Key Facts about Hope Island

• It is a tadpole-shaped island, located off the coast of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, in the Bay of Bengal. 
• Hope Island is so named for providing a natural haven to sailors against the forces of wind and tide against the weary traveler. 
• This island is young, as it was formed in the late 18th century, by the waters of the Koringa River, which is a distributary of the River Godavari.
• The area between Kakinada coast and Hope Island is known as Kakinada Bay.
• It acts as a natural barrier from storm surges and is a natural breakwater for the Kakinada coast. 

Q1) What is CITES?

CITES, which stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, is a global agreement among governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties – in other words, they have to implement the Convention – it does not take the place of national laws.

Source: Andhra Pradesh government bans fishing within 5 km radius of Hope Island to check death of Olive Ridley turtles