About Olive Ridley Turtle:
- It is one of the smallest and the most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
- It gets its name from the olive green colouration of its carapace (shell).
- It is best known for its 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:
- 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
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
What is the Sri Lanka Dome?
- It is considered one of the most productive regions in the Indian Ocean.
- Formation: It is formed by seasonal upwelling that brings cool, nutrient-rich waters to the surface, triggering plankton blooms that attract turtles, fish, whales, and seabirds.
- This phenomenon typically begins in May, peaks in July, and declines by September, after which the turtles disperse and begin their return migration.
