El Niño conditions are once again bringing atypical marine life to California shores. Most recently, a rare nest of olive ridley sea turtle eggs was discovered on San Buenaventura State Beach near Ventura Pier.
A pedestrian notified California State Parks officials on Sunday. Officials contacted the U.S. The Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the protection of sea turtles on land. Soon, a protective barrier was set around the nesting site so the eggs could remain undisturbed.
Olive ridley sea turtle eggs have only been documented in Southern California twice before this, making Sunday’s find the third case. The first ever cases happened in late September, when two nests were found on Orange County shores, according to NOAA Fisheries.
On Sep. 16, a camera captured the first case at Seal Beach, when a female olive ridley sea turtle was found laying eggs and covering them with sand. Three days later, there was a second nest discovery, as a turtle was once again spotted laying eggs, this time near the Huntington Beach Pier, before returning to the ocean. Since then, it’s been confirmed that the two nests belong to two different female sea turtles.
Due to concerns about high surf from tropical storms harming the nests, federal biologists transferred the eggs to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on Sept. 25 so the eggs have the best chance of surviving. Only 1 in 1,000 baby sea turtles make it to adulthood, according to NOAA.
As for the Ventura eggs, they will remain on the beach. A statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, acquired by the L.A. Times, said it “generally favors minimally intrusive conservation measures,” though the agency will monitor the nest throughout its 45 to 60-day incubation period.
NOAA Fisheries said that the turtle’s behavior is “unusual,” as normally egg laying occurs at night to avoid extreme heat and possible predators. Olive ridley sea turtles typically nest two to three times a season in the same vicinity, so there are chances that there are more nests.
Officials asked the public to stay away from the nests and if a turtle is spotted nesting, to not disturb it, and instead report it online or tell a lifeguard. Under the Endangered Species Act, olive ridley sea turtles are protected, meaning any encroachment on a nest can mean a hefty fine of up to $50,000 or prison time.
Normally, olive ridley sea turtles’ major nesting grounds are in Mexico and Central America, as they enjoy tropical waters in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans.
Experts say this season’s El Niño conditions are causing warmer water temperatures, bringing the sea turtles and other marine life to shore. In September, Newport Landing whale watchers spotted a pod of killer whales, and in late August, a hammerhead shark was spotted a mile from Laguna Beach.
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