Olive Ridley Arribada — Odisha

About this spectacle

On the dark beaches of Rushikulya and Gahirmatha in Odisha, India, half a million olive ridley sea turtles emerge from the ocean in a single explosive wave, crawling ashore shoulder to shoulder to nest in what is called an arribada. Visitors standing on the beach at night are surrounded by the rasping sound of flippers digging into sand, the faint shuffle of shells in every direction, and the strange spectacle of countless turtles moving as a single living tide. The sheer density of animals is overwhelming — the sand itself seems to move. Females dig nests, deposit eggs, and return to the sea, some passing directly over one another in their urgency. The air carries a briny, organic scent. The scale is almost incomprehensible: turtles stretching to the horizon, illuminated faintly under moonlight or starlight. It is a primordial event unchanged over millions of years, and witnessing it leaves most visitors speechless.

When to go

Nov — Apr, peak Feb — Mar

Getting there

Nearest airport: BBI. Nearest city: Berhampur.

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