00:00A sea turtle has made history on a California beach.
00:02An olive ridley was spotted laying eggs in Orange County.
00:06The discovery marks the first recorded natural sea turtle nesting on the U.S. West Coast.
00:11Lifeguards first found the turtle near Seal Beach on September 16th.
00:15They quickly created a protective perimeter around the nesting area.
00:19NOE and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were then alerted.
00:23Three days later, another sea turtle was spotted near Huntington Beach Pier.
00:27Officials are unsure whether it was the same turtle.
00:30The protected nests will be monitored during incubation.
00:33That process is expected to take about 45 to 60 days.
00:37Olive ridleys normally nest in tropical waters across the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans.
00:43Major Pacific nesting populations are found in countries including Mexico and Costa Rica.
00:49NOAA says olive ridleys can weigh up to 100 pounds.
00:52They can also live for roughly 30 to 50 years.
00:54Experts say El Nino may have influenced the unusual California nesting.
00:59Warm currents, range expansion, or navigational mistakes could also play a role.
01:04Officials say additional turtles could potentially nest along Southern California beaches.
01:09People are being asked to avoid fenced nesting areas and report sightings.
01:13If these eggs hatch, the young turtles could eventually return to California to nest again.
01:18Disclosure.
01:19This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
01:23Tell us about the animals.
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