First-Ever Nesting Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in California

An olive ridley sea turtle was observed digging a nest and laying eggs on the beach near Seal Beach, in Orange County, California on September 16, 2026. This is the first-ever recorded nest for any sea turtle species on the U.S. West Coast. Three days later and about 8 miles away, a second turtle was observed nesting near the Huntington Beach Pier. The nests were fenced, roped off, marked with interpretative signage, and ocean conditions monitored.

Out of an abundance of caution, an inter-agency team of scientists collected the eggs and transferred them to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on September 25. The eggs will be under the care of Aquarium staff during their incubation period, which typically lasts 45-60 days. If they successfully hatch, the hatchlings will be released on the beaches where the eggs were laid to make their journey across the sand to the ocean.

We are also on the lookout for additional nesting events. Each olive ridley will typically nest 2-3 times during the season, about 2 weeks apart and in the same general area.

A large team-local, state, and federal agencies, alongside public aquaria, local community organizations and educational groups-is working together. We are continuing to monitor the beaches where the turtles nested, provide science support, and share information with the public.

Sea Turtle Conservation

Sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, or collecting any listed species. In the United States, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have shared jurisdiction for promoting the recovery and conservation of threatened and endangered sea turtles. We have responsibilities for promoting the conservation and recovery of sea turtles in the marine environment, while the U.S. FWS has responsibilities for these animals on nesting beaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where and when do olive ridleys usually nest?

This species has never been documented to nest on the U.S. West Coast. The closest nesting site is in the western Cape region of Baja California, Mexico, near Todos Santos. A few scattered nests occur near Magdalena Bay on the Pacific Baja coast but nothing further has been recorded until now.

We are in the peak of the nesting season for olive ridleys in Mexico, which runs from about July to December. Some olive ridleys will nest in groups of more than 1,000 turtles (during arribada events). Others are solitary. Typically a nest will incubate for 45-60 days. Females typically lay 2-3 nests about 2 weeks apart. Adult female sea turtles show high fidelity to the areas where they hatched. This means about 15 years after hatching, some hatchlings will return as adults to nest again on the beach where they were born.

Why are we seeing these turtles? Is El Niño the cause?

While the exact reasons why these turtles nested in Orange County are uncertain, warm sea surface temperatures from ongoing marine heatwaves and the incoming 2027 El Niño are likely key factors. Olive ridleys are naturally nomadic and highly migratory; their adaptable nature and perhaps navigational errors may also have contributed.

How do we know the two olive ridley turtles observed nesting are two different turtles?

Dr. Cali Turner Tomaszewicz, a research biologist with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center's Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, conducted a photo ID analysis to tell the two turtles apart. She compared body shape, the number and location of barnacles, and each turtle's scute pattern-the unique arrangement of the large scales on a turtle's shell, much like a human fingerprint.

What are the chances these eggs will survive and hatch?

This is a first, and there is a lot we do not know about the eggs, including whether they were fertilized or if they are viable. If they successfully hatch, the hatchlings will be released on the beaches where the eggs were laid to make their journey across the sand to the ocean.

Partners

Thanks to the large inter-agency team that is coordinating effort to monitor and protect these turtles, including:

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Cities of Huntington Beach and Seal Beach
• Aquarium of the Pacific
• U.S. Navy
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
• California State University - Long Beach
• Surfside Colony Community Organization

What You Can Do

• Do not disturb nesting turtles, nests or hatchlings, or protective fencing or interpretive signage around nesting sites
• If you see a turtle on the beach, report it using this submission form, calling (562) 506-4315, or notifying lifeguards
• If you find a stranded sea turtle, call the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Stranding Hotline at (562) 506-4315