An olive ridley sea turtle dug a nest and laid her eggs in Seal Beach, California, marking the first-recorded natural sea-turtle nesting site on the West Coast. Officials put fencing and signs up to protect the nest.
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“An olive ridley sea turtle was observed digging a nest and laying eggs on a beach near Seal Beach in Orange County, CA, on 16 September 2026,” wrote the The City of Huntington Beach on Facebook, quoting NOAA. “This is the first-ever recorded natural nesting for any sea turtle species on the U.S. West Coast. Three days later, a sea turtle was observed again on the beach a few miles south, near the Huntington Beach Pier. It is unclear at this time whether this is the same or a different turtle. The team will monitor the nest throughout the incubation period, which typically lasts for 45-60 days. [. . .] We urge beachgoers to steer clear and not disturb the sites.”
See photos of this unprecedented wildlife event below.
Header stock image by Hannares/Getty Images
