First recorded olive ridley sea-turtle nests found on U.S. West Coast; about 200 eggs moved to Long Beach

Two olive ridley sea turtles nested on Orange County beaches in mid-September, marking the first recorded natural sea-turtle nesting on the U.S. West Coast, according to NOAA Fisheries. Days later, biologists moved about 200 eggs to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach after forecasts showed hazardous surf, storm surge and high tides could endanger the nests.

NOAA said one turtle laid eggs near Seal Beach on Sept. 16, 2026, and a second olive ridley nested about eight miles away near the Huntington Beach Pier on Sept. 19. The agency called it “the first-ever recorded natural nesting for any sea turtle species” on the West Coast.

The discovery is significant beyond California. NOAA said olive ridleys had not previously been documented nesting in the United States, with the closest known nesting sites in Baja California Sur and other parts of coastal Mexico. The species is generally found in tropical and subtropical waters and more commonly nests in places including Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.

The first turtle was discovered at about 3 p.m. Sept. 16 after a beachgoer alerted Huntington Beach lifeguards. The second nest was found three days later by Huntington Beach lifeguards on patrol. NOAA research biologist Dr. Cali Turner Tomaszewicz used photo identification, including body shape and patterns on the turtles, to determine the nests were laid by two different turtles.

“We’re excited about it,” Trevor McDonald, marine safety chief for the Huntington Beach Fire Department, told The Associated Press.

After the nests were found, local lifeguards and wildlife officials fenced off the sites, monitored them and added protective mesh and signs while tracking tide and storm forecasts. But with rougher conditions expected, biologists collected the eggs and transferred them to the Aquarium of the Pacific on Sept. 25.

NOAA said 100 to 200 eggs were moved; the Los Angeles Times reported that 204 eggs were recovered. Because the precise count varies by source, officials have described the transfer as involving about 200 eggs.

“We had to make some quick decisions,” Jonathan Snyder, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the Los Angeles Times. “This is the decision that we made, and I think it’s the best one for species recovery.”

Olive ridley incubation typically lasts 45 to 60 days, NOAA said. If hatchlings emerge, agencies plan to release them as soon as feasible on the same beaches where the eggs were laid.

NOAA said the nests could represent a potential “founding event” for the species in California because sea turtles can return to nest where they hatched roughly 15 years later. That possibility remains uncertain, but it is one reason scientists are paying close attention to the episode.

The agency said warm sea-surface temperatures tied to marine heatwaves and the developing 2026-27 El Niño are likely contributing factors, while stressing that the explanation is not definitive. The unusual nesting in Southern California may reflect changing ocean conditions, but NOAA has not said whether it marks a lasting shift in the species’ range.

Sea turtles and their nests are protected under the Endangered Species Act, with NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sharing responsibility for their protection. For now, the focus is on whether the eggs incubate successfully in Long Beach — and whether a historic first on California’s coast produces hatchlings.