Philopatry

Research has found that Olive Ridley turtles that hatch at a nesting site are ‘imprinted’ with a map of the local magnetic field. Decades later they return with remarkable precision to the site by following this map. The phenomenon is called philopatry.

• Philopatry is a blend of memory, environmental factors, and the earth’s geomagnetic cues.

• Philopatry is reinforced by a multiplier effect: as females with strong philopatric tendencies increase in number, they reinforce site fidelity across generations.

Arribada

• The Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), a vulnerable sea turtle species, made headlines earlier this year: a record-breaking seven lakh turtles had nested at Odisha’s Rushikulya beach alone in March 2025.

• These turtles are renowned for their synchronised mass nesting events called arribada, a Spanish word that means “arrival”.

• The State’s 480-km-long coastline hosts three major nesting beaches: Gahirmatha, between the Brahmani and Baitarani river mouths; Devi, 100 km south of Gahirmatha; and Rushikulya, 320 km further south.