Berhampur, April 22: Sea erosion and high tide have damaged nearly 10 per cent of the olive ridley eggs in three segments at Gokharkuda under Rushikulya rookery, about 50km from here.

"High tide has washed away some portions of these three zones, and 10 per cent of the eggs embedded in the beach sands have been damaged due to such phenomena," said Khallikote forest ranger Dilip Kumar Martha.

The forest personnel have been keeping a strict vigil on the beach since the mass nesting process started. "The situation is a repetition of what had happened in 2009 and 2011, and we have apprised the higher authority of it," he said.

Mass nesting of olive ridley started at Rushikulya rookery on March 11 night, and it lasted till March 18 with a record number of 3.10 lakh turtles laying eggs in the one-foot deep holes across the beach sands. The eggs are expected to incubate for around 45 days from the mass nesting period on their own due to the sand heat. "We expect hatching of these eggs during the first week of May," said Martha.

The 4km beach at Rushikulya rookery was divided into 45 segments.

Rabindra Nath Sahu, secretary of the Rushikulya Sea Turtles Protection Committee, however, said the eggs embedded in the sands faced such threat because the mass nesting got delayed for about one month.

"We experienced the full moon day on April 4 and the new moon day on April 18. The sea generally becomes rough and witnesses high tide on these two particular days. Though nobody has any control over the nature, I am worried about May 4, which is again a full moon day. The high tide and sea erosion during the period may affect the hatching process of the eggs," said Sahu.

"The temperature of the sands, moisture and availability of oxygen are the vital factors for the baby turtles that emerge from the eggs and head for the sea. Now, we can only pray that favourable conditions prevail during the first week of May and more baby turtles emerge from the eggs," he said.