California Records First Sea Turtle Nests on the US West Coast

Olive ridley sea turtles have established the first recorded sea turtle nests on the US West Coast, according to Good News Network and NOAA Fisheries. Good News Network cited reporting by the Los Angeles Times about the Southern California nesting events, while NOAA supplied details about the turtles, locations and conservation response.

NOAA reported that a turtle was observed digging a nest and laying eggs near Seal Beach in Orange County on September 16, 2026. Three days later, another turtle nested near Huntington Beach Pier, approximately eight miles away. According to NOAA, the first observation represents the first documented nest of any sea turtle species on the US West Coast.

The nests were fenced, roped off and marked with explanatory signs, while ocean conditions were monitored, NOAA reported. On September 25, an inter-agency scientific team collected the eggs and transferred them to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach as a precaution. Aquarium staff took responsibility for their care during incubation, which typically lasts 45–60 days.

The discovery does not establish that the eggs will hatch. NOAA said scientists did not yet know whether they were fertilised or viable. The agency described returning any successfully hatched turtles to the beaches where the eggs were laid so they could cross the sand to the ocean. Those uncertainties and arrangements were not included in the supplied Good News Network excerpt.

Scientists also checked whether the observations involved separate turtles. NOAA reported that research biologist Dr. Cali Turner Tomaszewicz, of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, compared photographs of the animals. Her analysis examined body shape, barnacle numbers and positions, and the arrangement of large shell scales known as scutes to distinguish them.

According to NOAA, the closest established nesting location is near Todos Santos in the western Cape region of Baja California, Mexico. Scattered nests also occur near Magdalena Bay on Baja California’s Pacific coast, but the agency said nesting farther north had not previously been recorded.

NOAA reported that the Mexican olive ridley nesting season runs approximately from July to December. Some turtles nest alone, while others gather in groups exceeding 1,000. Females typically produce two or three nests during a season, around two weeks apart and within the same general area. The agency said teams were watching for additional nesting events in California.

The reasons for the Orange County nesting remain uncertain, NOAA said. Its account discussed warm sea temperatures and the turtles’ migratory behaviour as possible contributing factors, without establishing a confirmed explanation. The observations therefore document a new nesting location, not a proven cause for the change.

The response brings together local, state and federal agencies, aquaria, community organisations and educational groups, according to NOAA. Partners include the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the cities of Huntington Beach and Seal Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the US Navy and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. NOAA also listed Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, California State University–Long Beach and Surfside Colony Community Organization.

NOAA said sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act. The agency shares conservation responsibilities with the US Fish and Wildlife Service: NOAA’s remit covers the marine environment, while the service’s responsibilities include nesting beaches.

The agency urged people not to disturb turtles, nests, hatchlings or protective barriers. It advised reporting beach sightings to lifeguards or through its reporting channels, and provided (562) 506-4315 for turtle sightings and stranded sea turtles.

Sources

• Good News Network: First Ever Recorded Sea Turtle Nests on America’s West Coast
• First-Ever Nesting Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in California