Reporting by Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star
When beachgoers discovered a rare sea turtle nesting on San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura over the weekend marked a new first.
Just weeks earlier, wildlife officials confirmed the first-ever recorded natural nesting for any sea turtle species on the U.S. West Coast. Both were olive ridley turtles. The turtles known for their heart-shaped shells normally stick to areas farther south in Mexico.
But in September, the two turtles nested in Orange County. The first was spotted digging a nest and laying eggs near Seal Beach, officials said. Days later, a second turtle was discovered nesting near the Huntington Beach Pier, around 8 miles away.
Experts said the exact reasons why the turtles showed up were unknown but called it likely that the warmer waters caused by a marine heat wave and El Niño were key factors. Navigational errors by the nomadic, highly migratory turtles also may have contributed, officials said.
Now, a third sea turtle was found – this time, in a sandy spot in Ventura not far from the pier.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the discovery as the first-ever recorded natural nesting in Ventura County and the northern most known olive ridley sea turtle nest.
Eggs collected, relocated after sea turtle nesting
In each area, the nests were roped off and marked with signs. Agencies also continued to monitor ocean conditions. The female sea turtles lay their eggs and then return to the open water, officials said.
In late September, they said hazardous surf and high tides prompted a team to relocate eggs from the Orange County nests. Biologists collected more than 200 and took them to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
There, they were expected to be incubated in a temperature-controlled environment and, if viable, would hatch around mid-November. Plans call for releasing hatchlings into the ocean near the original nest sites, officials said.
What will happen in Ventura is not yet clear. But wildlife agencies said they plan to continue monitoring the spot throughout the incubation period. They urged the public to help protect the eggs by keeping a distance from the spot and by not disturbing any nesting turtles, nests, hatchlings or protective fencing.
Sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits harassing, harming, pursuing, killing or collecting any listed species. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service share jurisdiction for the conservation of threatened and endangered sea turtles.
Wildlife agencies seek the public’s help
Before the Orange County discoveries, the closest known nesting site was in the western Cape region of Baja California, Mexico, according to the wildlife agencies. Peak nesting season for olive ridleys in Mexico runs from July to December.
An olive ridley, one of the smallest of the sea turtles, typically nests two to three times during the season, a couple weeks apart and in the same general area, wildlife agencies said. They lay clutches of approximately 100 eggs.
If you see a sea turtle on the beach, officials asked community members to notify local lifeguards or report the sighting to the NOAA West Coast Stranding Hotline at 562-506‑4315.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star.
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