Third sea turtle nest found on California coast in Ventura

Residents of Ventura gained a new neighbor this week when a sea turtle laid eggs on San Buenaventura State Beach. The discovery makes this the third natural sea turtle nest found on the U.S. West Coast. It is also the first nest recorded north of Baja California, Mexico.

Julie Scorsatto Weyers, a resident of Ventura for 30 years, found the nest on Tuesday. She was walking along the beach when she spotted the clutch. The eggs lie between the shoreline and the boardwalk. State Parks officials built a cordon around the site to protect the area.

Scorsatto Weyers expressed surprise at finding the eggs in her own backyard. "I can’t believe they’re there. I just can’t believe it," she said. She hopes workers can safely move the hatchlings once they emerge. "I just want them to get the little guys out of here so they’re as safe as possible," she added.

A passerby first alerted State Parks to the nest on Sunday. The state agency then notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That federal group is responsible for managing sea turtles on land. A spokesperson said the agency is currently monitoring the site. There are no plans to relocate the Ventura eggs at this time.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service generally prefers minimally intrusive conservation measures. The agency said partners will protect and monitor the site throughout the 45- to 60-day incubation period. Officials are asking the public to keep a respectful distance to help protect the eggs.

Recent record ocean temperatures have pushed Southern California waters closer to the turtles' typical nesting grounds. An extreme marine heat wave and a strong El Niño contributed to the warming. Before September, the farthest known northern nest was approximately 700 miles south in Baja California Sur. The Ventura nest now holds that record.

The olive ridley is listed as a threatened animal under the Endangered Species Act. It is one of the more abundant sea turtle species. These small, heart-shaped turtles usually inhabit tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. Large nesting populations exist in Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Two other olive ridley nests were found in September in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach. Those clutches were moved to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach to avoid high tides. They are nearing the end of their incubation period and may hatch any day.