Which one of the following beaches is visited by Olive Ridley turtles annually for mass nesting ?

The Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is renowned for its unique mass nesting behavior known as 'Arribada' [t1][t2]. In India, the state of Odisha hosts the world's largest nesting grounds for these turtles [t7]. Specifically, Gahirmatha beach, located within the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in the Kendrapara district, is acclaimed as the most significant site where hundreds of thousands of turtles congregate annually to lay eggs [t2][t7]. Other notable mass nesting sites in Odisha include the Rushikulya river mouth and the Devi river mouth [t1][t6]. While beaches like Chandipur, Gopalpur, and Paradwip are located along the Odisha coast, they are not recognized as primary mass nesting (arribada) sites for this species [t6][t9]. Conservation efforts, such as the Sea Turtle Conservation Project initiated in 1999, focus heavily on these specific Odisha rookeries to protect the endangered population [c1][t5].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/after-a-years-gap-olive-ridley-turtles-to-nest-in-rushikulya-mouth-in-thousands
2. [2] https://odishatourism.gov.in/content/dam/tourism/odishatourismbrochures/DeepintotheMangroves.pdf
3. [3] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 16: Conservation Efforts > 16.9.1 Sea.Thrtle Project > p. 243
4. [4] https://indiancoastguard.gov.in/olive-ridley