The viral video shows the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha and is unrelated to the 2025 Prayagraj Mahakumbh
The 2025 Prayagraj Mahakumbh Mela is set to conclude on 26 February 2025. Meanwhile, a video going viral on social media (here, here, and here) claims to show lakhs of turtles emerging from the Ganga after the conclusion of the Mahakumbh. Let’s verify the claim made in the post through this article.
Claim: Video shows lakhs of turtles emerging from the Ganga after the conclusion of the 2025 prayagraj Mahakumbh.
Fact: The viral video is unrelated to the 2025 Prayagraj Mahakumbh. It shows the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha, not the Ganga. According to the Reports, this is an annual event, known as “Arribada,” which began on 16 February 2025 when thousands of female turtles came ashore simultaneously to lay eggs. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to an archived Instagram post featuring the first part of the same video, shared by Aditya Sahoo (@vacationer). The caption of the post, dated the same as the video, revealed that it is from the mass nesting of seven lakh Olive Ridley turtles in Ganjam, Odisha.
We have also reached out to Aditya Sahoo to verify the origin and ownership of the video and to seek more information. The article will be updated once we receive a response.
Taking a clue from the Instagram post, we used relevant keywords and found multiple reports (here, here, and here) stating that Odisha’s Rushikulya beach witnessed a record-breaking mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles in 2025. As of 25 February 2025, over 682,000 turtles had laid eggs along the coastline, surpassing previous records. The mass nesting, known as “Arribada,” began on 16 February 2025, with thousands of female turtles coming ashore simultaneously to lay eggs—a spectacle that has drawn significant attention this year.
To verify the second part of the video, where people are seen watching the turtles, we performed a reverse image search on keyframes from the viral video. This led us to an X-post dated 22 February 2025 featuring the same video. The caption of the post stated that it was from “Mass Turtle Nesting Underway in Odisha, India.”
We noticed a small shed built on the beach had “Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Protection Camp Podampeta” written on it.
We did a Google search and found a report by prameyanews7 from Odisha, dated 17 February 2025, featuring the same placard. According to the report, the mass egg-laying of rare Olive Ridley sea turtles has begun at Rusikulya estuary beach due to favourable weather and southerly winds. Turtles from Podampeta in Ganjam district are laying eggs near Bateswar temple, with each turtle depositing over 120 eggs before returning to the sea. To ensure safety, the forest department has set up a 5 km security fence and declared some areas as no-fishing zones. Hatchlings are expected to emerge in 45 days.
We also found the same video featured in a report by The Telegraph, uploaded on their YouTube channel on 24 February 2025. The video description highlights a remarkable natural event in Odisha, India, where a record 700,000 Olive Ridley turtles have arrived for their annual ‘Arribada’ mass nesting. A record 555,638 eggs have been safely laid at the Rushikulya and Devi river mouths along the Odisha coast.
We also contacted the Odisha Forest Department for more information and to confirm the video’s location. We will update the article once we receive a response.
To sum up, the viral video shows the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha and is unrelated to the 2025 Prayagraj Mahakumbh.