Planet Earth - the abode of life

            March 15,2003. The sun was setting on the coast of Orissa. The fishing boats were making their way back to the land with catch of sea creatures, unlucky to have got trapped in the net. But one of the sea dwellers was fortunate to have survived the death zone. Wading through the warm evening waters, it crawled on deep into thecoast, found a suitable place, dug a pit and laid some 120 eggs. On covering them with sand, it returned back to sea, only to come back next year(if survived). The feat was followed by 2,00,000 others in days to come. The Naturalists heaved a sigh of relief. The 'Olive Ridleys' had survived...!!

 


        These turtles are exploring the depths of ocean beds since the pre-historic period and trace their relation to the mighty dinosaurs, fortunately having survived the mass extinction 65 million years ago, with their major nesting ground being ' Gahirmatha ', on the coast of Orissa, which highlight their peculiar cycle. they move about alone in ocean, not in group. Still they manage to find their way back to the place they were born, all at the same time, irrespective of them being in ' Indian ' or in ' Pacific ' ocean, which led the researchers to experimentally deduce that turtles posses certain magnetic sense, just like the pigeons. Their sense of location & time is really unbelievable.

 
         Female turtle after laying eggs return to seas. She never gets to meet her young ones. The eggs get nurtured in sand all by themselves. The young ones after hatching of eggs, move around the ocean for 10-15 years and return to place where born on reaching aduthood, to lay eggs. Though years would have passed since their birth, still never fail to find the address..!!!

      
          But the fairy tale's  feared to have an end. Incessant killing and fishing activities around shores of India & Africa have led to dwindling numbers of turtles. Although East Indian territory  of Gahirmatha has been declared as a Santuary, legal licences have been issued to fishermen for fishing in that areas..!!!   No one listens and no one understands. the captured turtlesare then sold in market of Kolkata, Calicut etc., which highlights the real cause of worry for these creatures. unless there is demand, suppliers are always gonna be there..!!

           Its our job to find the weakness in our attitude and actions, and eradicate them before they destroy the nature...!!!!