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A rare olive ridley sea turtle laid a nest at San Buenaventura State Beach
Three sea turtle nests have been documented since Sept. 16
- Sept. 16An olive ridley lays eggs near Seal Beach, the first documented West Coast nest.
- Sept. 19Another turtle lays eggs near Huntington Beach Pier.
- Sept. 25Federal biologists move both Orange County nests to the Aquarium of the Pacific.
- Nov. 1An olive ridley lays eggs at San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura.
Sources: KTLA, LAmag, Dolphins Wire
If you walk the beach near Ventura Pier, you'll see fencing. An olive ridley sea turtle laid eggs there Sunday, the third documented natural sea turtle nest on the U.S. West Coast. A passerby alerted California State Parks, and the find marked a new first. It's also the northernmost documented sea turtle nest.
Unlike the Orange County eggs, these are staying put. The Fish and Wildlife Service said it "generally favors minimally intrusive conservation measures", and officials plan to monitor the nest. Biologists moved more than 200 Orange County eggs because of hazardous surf and high tides.
45 to 60 daystypical incubation period for the Ventura eggs
Officials plan to monitor and protect the nest through that period and ask beachgoers to keep their distance.
- Where: between the shoreline and the beach's boardwalk
- Species: olive ridley, listed as threatened
- Likely cause: marine heat wave and El Niño
- What to do: stay away from the fenced nest
