A strong hurricane headed for Southern California this weekend is prompting scientists to quickly search for rare sea turtle eggs on local beaches and move them to safety.
Teams from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took action on Friday as Hurricane Polo, a category 5 storm brewing off the western coast of Mexico, continues its course. While it won’t make landfall in California, it is expected to generate large waves and coastal flooding.
These efforts involved relocating two nests found in Huntington Beach and Seal Beach, each containing around 100 eggs. This is a notable event since these eggs represent the first documented natural sea turtle nests on the U.S. West Coast.
The olive ridley sea turtle, the species in question, is classified as endangered along the Pacific coast of Mexico according to the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
“With hazardous surf conditions expected during this weekend’s high tides, we’re concerned that the nests could be washed away,” the aquarium stated. “We had to make the tough decision to move the olive ridley sea turtle eggs from their natural habitat to the Aquarium of the Pacific.”
In a careful process conducted early Friday morning, biologists removed the eggs individually and placed them in Styrofoam coolers. They were then moved to the aquarium’s climate-controlled recovery room for incubation.
According to the aquarium, the eggs should hatch within 45 to 60 days.
It’s quite rare to see these eggs in California, as the olive ridley generally nests in Mexico. Jeff Seminoff from NOAA’s Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program suggested it might be a “navigational mistake” on the turtles’ part.
“They could have gotten a bit confused about their location,” he noted, explaining that turtles typically return to the beaches where they were born. The nearest nesting sites are approximately 700 miles south.
Footage of the nesting went viral, leading to both locations being fenced off to protect them from beachgoers.
Currently, the eggs are secure at the aquarium, which plans to keep followers updated on their status through social media.
As the storm approaches, California’s coastal cities are bracing for higher waves that could damage beaches and potentially lead to flooding in residential areas and parking lots.
The National Weather Service predicts increased surf and strong rip currents along Southern California beaches starting this weekend and continuing into the following week as multiple southerly swells hit the coast.
