Sea Turtles Nest on the US West Coast for the First Time Ever Recorded
Two olive ridley sea turtle nests were found in Orange County, California this September — the first sea turtle nests ever recorded on the US West Coast. More than 100 eggs are now being cared for at an aquarium.
For the first time in recorded history, a sea turtle has nested on the United States' West Coast. Two olive ridley sea turtle nests turned up in Orange County, California this September, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Two nests, hundreds of miles from home
The first nest was spotted near Seal Beach on September 16, followed by a second near the Huntington Beach Pier on September 23. Together, the two nests held an estimated 100 to 200 eggs. The closest known olive ridley nesting grounds are hundreds of miles south, in Baja California, Mexico.
Racing a storm to save the eggs
With dangerous surf forecast from incoming tropical storms, wildlife teams moved the eggs on September 25 to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, where staff are now incubating them under controlled care. Once the hatchlings emerge, they'll be released back on the beaches where their nests were originally found.
A multi-agency rescue effort
Getting the eggs to safety required coordination between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the cities of Huntington Beach and Seal Beach, the U.S. Navy, and several conservation groups. It's the kind of rapid, multi-agency response that gives a genuinely new discovery like this one its best shot at a happy ending.
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