By Mary O’KEEFE

I am a little concerned about writing this but because it was shared on several social media platforms I visit – the first-ever recorded natural nesting for any sea turtle has been discovered near Seal Beach in Orange County. 

The olive ridley sea turtle was observed digging a nest and laying eggs near Seal Beach on Sept. 16 then, three days later, another sea turtle was observed on the beach just a few miles away near Huntington Beach Pier. 

“Olive ridley turtles are the smallest of the sea turtles: adults weigh up to 100 lbs. and are about 2.5’ to 3’ in length. They are estimated to live about 30-50 years. These sea turtles are found worldwide, primarily in the tropical waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. Major Pacific nesting populations span Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. While occasionally seen in Southern California following warm currents, this species has never been documented to nest in the United States,” according to a post from NOAA Fisheries. 

Female turtles can lay from 50 to 100 eggs, which hatch within 45 to 60 days. 

According to a report with 7Eyewitness News, Justin Viezbicke, from NOAA Fisheries, said that typically the female turtle will lay her eggs at night; however, this laying was on the beach at sunset. 

Olive ridley sea turtles are a protected endangered species. 

NOAA has placed a fence around the area where the eggs were buried. Everyone is asked to respect the area and not to disturb the eggs. 

And so this is where I have an issue about sharing this information. I absolutely love the fact that these amazing creatures are in Southern California for the first time, that this mom chose these beaches to keep her children safe until they hatch – but the ignorant behavior of people that has been seen recently along the coast – specifically their interaction with seals and sea lions – causes me worry.

La Jolla Cove in San Diego is the home for hundreds of federally protected sea lions. But for some reason people, many of them alleged tourists, feel the need to get as close as they can to sea lions and take selfies or worse – try to hit the sea lions or throw things at them. There are endless videos of these horrible people kicking the sea lions, and laughing as a mother sea lion goes after them as she protects her babies. 

There is a lot of talk about what to do about this issue of animal abuse and, because we live in a twisted universe, some are actually suggesting removing the sea lions that, reportedly, have been in this area for over 80,000 years. 

Yes, that makes sense; instead of just closing the area to humans or policing the knuckleheads who need to feel important by abusing another species – we should blame the victim and make them move. 

And so this is what worries me about the sea turtles. Will these same types of people go to these beaches and take selfies of the fenced area or will they try to find the eggs? And what will happen when these tiny turtles begin to hatch and make their way to the sea? 

Instead, I am going to look toward the light and hope that humans will actually practice humanity and leave these creatures alone. Let’s be honored that this mom chose our local beaches to entrust her children. 

Our temperatures are going to be close to normal – in the 80s – through Tuesday of next week. Today and Friday will be in the upper 80s and Saturday through Tuesday in the mid to low 80s. Low temperatures continue to be in the 60s and 50s. There is no rain in the forecast thus far; however, there is a pretty sizable hurricane, Polo, in the Pacific off the coast of Mexico. At present it does not look like it will affect California but it is something NOAA is keeping an eye on. 

Hurricane Polo may bring some ocean swells but will probably not bring any rain to our coast, as of press time, according to NOAA.

From Gregg Inboden: “Fall began … summer is gone. We received .03  inch of rain the last little storm [we had] on Sunday. Humidity is consistent at 65% and Barometric pressure is stable at 30.25. Winds between 1-5 MPH [are expected] off and on.”