Gopalpur Sea Beach Ganjam (Odisha)

 Gopalpur Sea Beach:

Gopalpur Sea Beach is located close to Berhampur in the Ganjam district of Odisha has been a best place of tourist attraction. Lying around 15km  drive from the nearest city Berhampur which is the commercial center of southern Odisha, Gopalpur sea is situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal.

               It attracts lots of visitors to enjoy the natural scenery of the beach and is suitable for bathing. There are many star hotels and resorts near the beach where visitors and tourists can rest and stay at night. Gopalpur beach is an ideal choice for anyone who enjoys water sports. offering a great chance to spend as much time as one wants under water exploring the eye pleasing corals with the entourage of crystal clear Adams ale.

Gopalpur Beach is famous for its Olive Ridely Turtles nest. The  Olive  Ridely Turtles come to the beach coast annually between November and December and stay on until April and may for nesting. Off  late, nesting has been observed to start from late January to early February. The turtles choose the narrow beaches near estuaries and bays for laying their eggs. Olive Ridely Turtles are the smallest of the marine turtlespecies in the world. The coast of this Sea Beach is one of the Worlds largest mass nesting site.

                     The Turtles lay their eggs in flask shaped nests about a foot and a half deep, which they laboriously dig with their hind flippers. The eggs incubate under the sand for a period of 45-55 days depending on the weather conditions. After about 45-55 days, the eggs being to hatch and these beaches are swamped with crawling olive ridley turtle babies, making their first trek towards the Vast ocean.

                         The fisherman community along with WWF-India has been involved in protecting the olive ridley hatchery at the mass nesting site at Rushikulya, in Odisha, by fenching off nesting area and patrolling it till hatching and ensuring a safe passage for the hatching to the sea.

The Gopalpur Beach festival draws huge crowds each year and is one of the foremost reason why people visits the destination. The festival is a celebration of the vibrant and colorful culture of Odisha. Started in the year 1996.

            The festival is usually held in December and is an absolute treat for all. The celebration of this festival is a huge deal with renowned celebrities performing live concerts and dancing to peppy beats. the  local people as well as the visitors ,entertain the crowd with a feast of dances-folk.

Cusine: Gopalpurs proximity to the sea makes the seafood available here an absolute delight.in fact the city is renowned for its Fried fish, prawns, crabs and pomferts. many stalls are set up that sell these delicious dishes made with a local twist for every cheap rates.

Shoping: The local find this festival to be a great sources of revenue as they set up stalls along the beach that sell items peculiar and special to Goplalpur  and Odisha. Some stalls sell art that celebrates the odisha culture. and its made by local artists. many colorful and unique jewellery made of stone, clay or wax. hand made toys also they sell for children.

Best time to visit: The four month period from November till February is the best time to visit Gopalpur, due to cooler climate, lower levels of moisture and greater tourist activities to enjoy. and the environment in Gopalpur is nothing less than charming during this period.