Nearly 7 Lakh Sea Turtles Nest In Odisha’s Rushikulya, Old Video Goes Viral Again

Viral Video: A video of a mass turtle nesting in Odisha's Rushikulya,  from February 2025 has resurfaced on X, amusing users yet again.  The phenomenon is called 'Arribada' where large numbers of sea turtles, primarily Olive Ridleys, simultaneously come ashore to nest.  

Social Media users are now making speculations regarding the reasons behind this scenic occurrence, thinking of it as a sign of an impending event.

Seven Lakh Turtles Arrived At The Shore  

Arribada, meaning arrival in Spanish is an annual occurrence at Odisha’s Rushikulya beach where thousands (sometimes lakhs) of female Olive Ridley turtles turn up at the beach to lay their eggs around February.

Dwelling in the warm tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the Olive Ridleys are named after their spectacular olive-green shells. They are among the most abundant sea turtles in the world and need clean, dry, and sandy beaches to nest.

Unfortunately, these turtles are fast disappearing primarily due to human activities, including unsustainable fishing practices, habitat degradation, and the illegal collection of their eggs and hunting of adults.

To nest, they dig a two-foot-deep sand pit to deposit their prized eggs (anywhere from 100-150 in number), cover it with sand, and go back into the Bay of Bengal from where they came.

According to the documentation maintained of this mass nesting, this year, the Olive Ridley turtles arrived at the Rushikulya beach between February 16 and 26, with numbers reaching nearly seven lakh, the biggest in the past 20 years. The numbers have increased on the east and west coasts of India.

"Natural Spectacle": Netizens React To The Beauty Of The Occurrence

Netizens are amazed at the resurfaced viral video that captured the turtles digging on the beach to lay eggs and return to the Bay of Bengal.

The video also showed locals gathered around to record the phenomenon on their phones and witness the stunning sight in person.  
Also read: Netizens Fuming At New Video Showing Woman Slapped Rapido Driver First