Thousands of carcasses of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles are scattered along the stretch of sea beach from Dhamra to Paradip coast under Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, one of the largest rookeries for the species, in the ongoing turtle nesting season. As a result, bad odour emanating from the dead turtles is creating unhygienic conditions in the beaches. However, forest officials informed that only 689 turtle carcasses have been sighted this year in the sandy beaches of the sanctuary. The turtles' death toll is on the lower side this time at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary due to strict vigil and surveillance on fishing using trawlers which has been stepped up since the first week of November, last year, claimed forest officials. However, the ground reality is something different and grim in this regard. According to sources, more than 4,000 turtle carcasses are lying scattered in the sandy beaches under Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. Wildlife activists argue that the turtles are dying en masse in several strategic locations and the accidental death of the rare species is due to uncontrolled trawling and fishing at the sanctuary. Though protected under a Central law, over 30,000 turtles have either been mangled by fishing trawlers or entangled in fishermen's nets in the past five years. The turtle mortality rate is estimated at more than 10,000 per year, informed Sudhansu Parida, an environmentalist. The endangered Olive Ridley turtles which are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 grow up to 75 centimetres (25 inches) in length and the turtle is found in the tropical regions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. These rare turtles get killed after getting trapped and entangled in the nets of mechanised fishing vessels during their mating season which starts from December and continues till March when they congregate in lakhs for arribada, the Spanish term for mass nesting, in the sandy beaches of Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary under Bhitarkanika National Park. Though the State Forest Department has prohibited fishing within 20 km radius of the sea coast, illegal fishing is going on rampantly in the banned zone as the forest department has failed to prevent the fishermen from catching fish by entering into the prohibited zone. As a result, Gahirmatha rookery, which is said to be the largest rookery for the species, has turned into the biggest graveyard for the species in recent years. The beaches of Satabhaya, Pentha, Agarnasi and Barunei instead of being beacons of new life have turned into graveyard for the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles, alleged turtle conservationists.