Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Nest on California Beach for First Known Time on U.S. West Coast
On September 16, an olive ridley turtle laid its eggs close to Seal Beach in Orange County, marking the first documented instance of natural sea turtle nesting along the U.S. West Coast, as reported by NOAA Fisheries West Coast. Just three days later, another olive ridley nested near Huntington Beach Pier. Jeff Flocken, President and CEO of the Aquarium of the Pacific, pointed out that California had no prior records of nesting. Lifeguards found both turtles, and biologist Cali Turner Tomaszewicz confirmed they were separate individuals through photo identification analysis. The nesting locations will be observed throughout the 45- to 60-day incubation period. Marine ecologist Jeff Seminoff suggested that climate influences, including a recent hurricane and potential "super" El Niño effects, might account for this nesting behavior in California.
Key facts
- An olive ridley turtle laid eggs near Seal Beach in Orange County on September 16, the first known natural sea turtle nesting on the U.S. West Coast
- A second olive ridley nested near the Huntington Beach Pier three days later, a few miles south
- Photo I.D. analysis by NOAA biologist Cali Turner Tomaszewicz confirmed the two turtles were distinct individuals
- The nesting sites are fenced off and monitored during a typical 45- to 60-day incubation period
- NOAA's Jeff Seminoff cited cold fall temperatures and extreme high tides as the biggest threats to the developing turtles
- Olive ridleys are among the smallest sea turtles, weighing up to 100 pounds and reaching about 2.5 feet long
- Historical estimates suggest up to ten million olive ridleys once swam in the Pacific Ocean
- Six sea turtle species swim in U.S. waters and all are protected under the Endangered Species Act
Entities
Artists
- Jeff Flocken
- Trevor McDonald
- Cali Turner Tomaszewicz
- Jeff Seminoff
- Justin Viezbicke
- Lois Beckett
- Olivia Harden
- Sara Cardine
- John Ross Ferrara
- Chip Yost
- Margherita Bassi
Institutions
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- NOAA Fisheries West Coast
- Aquarium of the Pacific
- SFGate
- Huntington Beach Fire Department
- Daily Pilot
- Los Angeles Times
- NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
- City of Huntington Beach
- Guardian
- KTLA
- BBC Travel
- Discover magazine
- Live Science
- Atlas Obscura
- Hidden Compass
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Seal Beach
- Orange County
- California
- United States
- Huntington Beach
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
- Pacific Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean