El Niño Brings Exotic Marine Life to California Coast, Including Rare Sea Turtle Nests
Unusual species like whale sharks, hammerheads, and sea snakes are appearing off California as a powerful El Niño event warms Pacific waters.
A powerful El Niño event is drawing a variety of exotic marine species to the coast of California, with some encounters marking first-time occurrences for the region. The warming Pacific waters have facilitated the appearance of animals such as whale sharks, hammerheads, and venomous sea snakes.
Among the notable sightings, a longfin bigeye fish was observed off the California coast last month, an occurrence noted as a first for the area. More significantly, an endangered olive ridley sea turtle laid eggs in two separate nests in Orange County, California. These nesting events, documented in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach, represent the first confirmed instances of olive ridley nests on the West Coast, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Both nesting sites have been secured with fencing and warning signs, and experts are closely monitoring the nests during their incubation period.
Additionally, a potentially deadly yellow-bellied sea snake was spotted by a family at Crystal Cove State Beach on September 11. This species, which carries venom potent enough to be lethal to humans, has not been seen in the region for nearly a decade. Marine naturalist Capt. Chad Steffen identified the creature, confirming its potential danger.
Whale watchers also reported a significant encounter when a pod of 10 to 13 orcas was observed near Newport Beach on September 29. These killer whales typically inhabit waters further south, off the coasts of Mexico and Central America. The unusually warm ocean temperatures are believed to be the reason for their northern migration.
Newport Landing Whale Watching noted on social media that this specific pod of eastern tropical Pacific killer whales has visited the area multiple times in recent years, including in 2018, 2023, 2024, and 2026.
Strong El Niño years have historically led to subtropical species moving northward. During the significant 2015-2016 El Niño event, hammerhead sharks were sighted, and several of the few prior sea snake sightings in Southern California also occurred during that period.