An olive ridley sea turtle dug a nest and laid eggs on a beach near Seal Beach in Orange County on September 16, according to NOAA Fisheries West Coast. Three days later, another olive ridley was observed laying eggs near the Huntington Beach Pier. It remains unclear if the same turtle was responsible for both nests.

This marks the first-ever recorded natural nesting for any sea turtle species on the U.S. West Coast. Olive ridley turtles, one of the smallest sea turtle species, typically nest in tropical waters off Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. While the animals have occasionally been spotted in Southern California following warm ocean currents, they had never before been documented nesting in the United States.

Local lifeguards and responders initially thought the first turtle might be injured before realizing it was nesting. Both sites have been fenced and protected with signage to keep beachgoers and vehicles away. NOAA Fisheries, along with local, state, and federal partners, will monitor the nests through the incubation period, which typically lasts 45 to 60 days. Officials urged the public to steer clear of the areas.

The species is listed as threatened or endangered depending on the population, with breeding colonies on Mexico’s Pacific Coast classified as endangered. Each nest is estimated to contain 50 to 100 eggs. Scientists noted the turtle’s daytime nesting behavior as somewhat unusual, since the species usually nests at night.

The nests represent a notable event for marine wildlife along the California coast. Protection efforts continue as the eggs develop over the coming weeks.