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It is interesting to report that this turtle nesting area finds a special mention in a book entitled “A New Account of the East Indies” based on the observations and remarks by Captain Alexander Hamilton who took to trading and travelling, by sea and land, between Cape of Good Hope and Japan (Hamilton 1727). In volume I of his series there is a chapter on Orissa state entitled “Treats of the sea-coast and some inland Countries in the ancient Kingdom of Orixa.....Jagarynat”. Here he documents his observations based on his travel from Ganjam to Ballasore by land in 1708. This covers the coastal districts of Orixa (at present Orissa) from south (Ganjam) to north (Ballasore at present Balasore). He has described the waterways and important ports of trade (most of the trade in those days was by waterways) in Balasore under the jurisdiction of the Rajah of Cunnaca (now known as Kanika) in which he has made a passing reference to the turtle nesting site.

Since this is the earliest record and of historic importance, I quote the relevant parts: on page 393 it says:

“Between Cunnaca and Balasore Rivers there is one continuous Sandy Bay, where prodigious Number of Sea Tortoises resort to lay their Eggs; and a very delicious Fish called the Pamplee, comes in sholes, and are sold for two Pence per Hundred. Two of them are sufficient to dine a moderate Man”.

This is not only the earliest record but suggests that in 1708 a much larger area between the Balasore river (at present called Budha Balanga in the north) to the Cunnaca river (at present called Maipura river in the south); was used for mass nesting. By 1976, the mass nesting was restricted to only few kilometers in the southern part near Maipura river when Bustard made his report.

Since Anderson does not say anything about the trade or consumption of eggs or turtles (although he has indicated the size of Pamplee, obviously the Pompret, which is a local delicacy), it is possible that trade in turtles and turtle eggs had not started in the early part of 1700’s.

Acknowledgements: I am indebted to Dr. K. S. Behera, Professor of History, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar for drawing my attention to Anderson’s observations about sea turtles and to Mr. Lalit Mansingh, High Commission of India in UK (at present the Foreign Secretary of Government of India) for kindly locating Hamilton’s book for me.

BUSTARD, H.R. 1976. World’s largest sea turtle rookery. Tiger Paper. 3.

HAMILTON, A. 1727. A New Account of the East Indies. Volume 1, Edinburgh, Printed by John Mosman One of His Majesty’s Printers, and sold at the King’s Printing-house in Craig’s Clof. MDCCXXVII.