Two olive ridley sea turtle nests found in mid-September near Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge and Huntington Beach are the first confirmed instance of natural sea-turtle nesting on the U.S. West Coast, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reported.
Olive ridleys usually nest farther south in Mexico. As Hurricane Polo approached with high surf and tides, biologists moved 100 eggs from Huntington Beach and 104 from Seal Beach to temperature-controlled incubators at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
The eggs may hatch 45 to 60 days after transfer, around mid-November, if they are viable. Partners plan to release any hatchlings near the original nest sites, but neither hatching nor release has yet been reported.
The federal service worked with NOAA Fisheries, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and state and local agencies. Officials are preparing an interim conservation strategy in case turtles nest in California again.
