India, April 10 -- A 16-year-long study of the Olive Ridley sea turtles has revealed that the ones nesting in Odisha are genetically distinct from those found around the world and much older than the ones found along the South American coast.

Olive Ridleys are the smallest of the marine turtles that normally lay eggs in Rushikulya and Gahirmatha beaches of Odisha. The Rushikulya beach in Ganjam district is one of the world's largest nesting sites, apart from the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica. Last month, over 1.3 million Olive Ridley turtles laid eggs at the Rushikulya and Gahirmatha rookery, surpassing the previous record of 1.15 million in 2023. In Rushikulya, 2 lakh turtles came back between March 20 and March 27 for nesting.

The s...