Turtles mass on Indian beach

Thousands of endangered Olive Ridley turtles have begun mass nesting at Rushikulya beach in India's eastern Orissa state.

Around 20,000 Olive Ridley sea turtles crawled ashore from the Bay of Bengal to lay eggs at the Rushikulya river mouth between Kantiagada and Gokharkuda villages in the Ganjam district.

The mass nesting starts late at night and continues until the early hours, with hundreds of female turtles seen digging pits to lay their eggs.

Visitors thronged in large numbers to see this beautiful spectacle of nature.

Turtle lovers and experts are worried on account of a month's delay, with mass nesting occurring at the beach in mid-February 14 last year.

Sadly, most eggs are likely to be lost due to late nesting, as beach erosion takes place in summer.

High waves and fierce winds are likely to destroy the nesting beaches, exposing the eggs.