A sea turtle has made its nest on the West Coast for the first time on record, laying eggs on a Southern California beach.
The olive ridley sea turtle was seen digging its nest and laying eggs near Seal Beach last week, according to officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Another sea turtle — possibly the same one — was spotted a few miles south three days later, NOAA said.
The sighting was the first “natural nesting” on record for any species of sea turtles on the West Coast, officials said.
The turtles, protected under the Endangered Species Act, usually are found in tropical waters. But a warming ocean off the California coast, especially amid a record-breaking El Niño this year, has led to more unusual animal sightings.
“While occasionally seen in Southern California following warm currents, this species has never been documented to nest in the United States,” NOAA Fisheries West Coast said in a post.
Officials are urging people to keep their distance from any nest they encounter and report any sightings.
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